


A Different Kind of Pride

by GabrielLaVedier



Series: Unbounded Love [4]
Category: The Lion Guard (Cartoon), Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Interspecies Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2020-11-09 05:08:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 42,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20848028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabrielLaVedier/pseuds/GabrielLaVedier
Summary: That night... that night when Simba Pride finally found out what his son had been doing for a few months exploded into a fate the young Kion couldn't imagine. He had seen his father as a stern businessmammal, gregarious and kind, a family-first sort. When he opened up his hate and showed the ugliness inside there was only one thing to do.Run.Run away and never return. Kion could run.Simba could refuse to accept it.What came of that... the night stands aghast. Kion's flight, paid by others.





	1. Lines of Communication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Communication is key in a modern megalopolis like Zootopia. All news spreads fast, a wildfire or controlled burn at the speed of light.

I do not own Zootopia or The Lion King/The Lion Guard, that belongs to Disney. This a fan work made solely for the sake of amusement.

**A Different Kind Of Pride**

**Chapter One: Lines of Communication**

**By: Gabriel LaVedier**

_'I'm not a coward, I'm not a coward...' _Kion thought to himself as he stared down his furious father. The air was tense, almost choking. He had to admit, his father had presence. He could throw his weight around in the boardroom, and nothing stopped him from exerting the same force at home. Kion had will, he had strength, but he was just a kid, some preppy teen. He was dedicated to Jasiri. He loved her! But the hateful eyes burned into his, moment on moment. His father stood like a statue, stony and cold, unmoving. Resolute. His iron will was irresistible. He was a crushing boulder. His mere silent demand was enough, his certainty that he could command his son was not misplaced.

Kion gave only a little.

It was enough.

One little crack, and he was just a cub in his father's gaze. "I-I'll go to my room," Kion said, in a breathy tone, eyes falling. He had nothing left.

"I'll give your sister one last night with Vitani," Simba rumbled as Kion passed him. "She kept this from me, helped you, got her friends involved with those filthy..." he huffed and shook his head. "But that Vitani girl is still a lioness, and a decent one. Better a Happytown goth with cheap makeup than some rich spotted menace. You stay in there. We'll discuss how you'll break up with this hyena later." The corner of his eye caught his wife, just in the doorframe. He gave her a quick lift of his head and a self-confident look. She only gave a nod in return.

Kion was disgusted with himself, in hindsight. Outside of that fiery gaze, those piercing, wounding eyes and that suffocating aura of bigoted command he could chastise himself. With the experience over he could tell himself he was stronger than that. He wasn't the kind to give in. He hadn't given up! He had just... bent. A tiny crack. His father hadn't broken him. Just flecked off a chip. But that had never happened before. He'd never had to fear his father.

His eyes drifted around his darkened room, the low light of a small mood lighting orb suiting him. It had been a gift from his friend Fuli, something to awkwardly try to get something going. Much like with Zuri the attempt had fizzled out. It washed his rather ordinary room in pale light, illuminating his posters of musicians like Hyena Gomez, Dhahabu, Gazelle, Lady Maw-Maw. Awards he had won for gymnastics were scattered around, along with photographs of his friends and family. A bookshelf for his books and comics. A desk slightly too messy for its own good but it was part of the process.

His contemplation seemed to consume great amounts of time. He was lost in his own head, trying to figure out what happened, what he should have done and what he could do. His personal reverie was broken by his room's door slowly opening, the slight squeak just making him flick his ears. He looked over to see a familiar silhouette in the light of the door. "M-mom..?"

Nala brought a finger up to her lips and swiftly entered the room fully, partially closing the door behind her. "I don't think there's a lot of time."

"Are you gonna tell me to give up Jasiri too? Want me to go ask dad to forgive me?" Kion scoffed, turning away from his mother and looking up at the autographed Hyena Gomez poster Jasiri had given him, from right off her wall.

"Your father can be wrong. He **is** wrong this time," Nala plainly asserted, physically rolling Kion over to look at her. "I know he has a hard job, I know he had a hard life. But this isn't right. You can make choices like this. Even if it doesn't work out..."

"Mom, I know it'll work," Kion insisted, rather more quickly than he likely wanted. "It will."

Nala sighed, handing over a small envelope and a cell phone. "Prepaid cards, a little cash, my extra phone. I saw yours charging on the counter. I think... I think it will work. But you need to go. Use the cards to get a Zuber, call your sister, tell her to stay there with Vitani. It's not perfect, but it's something. You can slip out before he notices. I'll make sure..."

"Mom..." Kion rolled out of bed and hugged his mother, squeezing her tightly before stuffing the items she had given him into his school-marked messenger bag along with his wallet but not his keys. He wouldn't necessarily need to get back into the condo on his own. "I..."

Nala silenced the comment with a kiss on the forehead. "There's no time. Stay low, be quiet, and wait a minute so I can be sure he's distracted. Please... try to understand he... he has reasons sometimes. He does..." She let Kion go and slowly walked back out of the room, leaving the door open wide enough to let him sneak out without making any noise.

Kion pulled on his Savannah Prep jacket and trembled a little bit. A waft of scent came up and made his memory swirl.

_Sahara square was notorious for burning days, but few mammals ever remembered that night slammed down hard and a chill would take it, especially late in the year. The Vesper and Night periods called for some kind of proper clothing, which could get very complicated for those who were in the swingover between Day and Vesper, or who did a partial or full from Matin to Night. One of the quirks of the district._

_Though largely marketed to adults with places like the Golden Palm hotel and casino, Councilor Fanak was well aware that teens could have lots of free time and some very deep pockets that could either be spent on video games or in things that her constituents could profit from. Hence her open suggestions and her legislation establishing safe zones for said teens, with proper police protection, cleanliness standards, and appropriate entertainment. It was a bit of a trip depending on where one came from in the city, but was reportedly worth it._

_Kion hadn't wanted his relationship to change anything with his friends, he wanted his circle to expand, not just shift aside. So he had planned an outing with his Savannah sports friends along with his new Hyenahurst friends. They made for quite a pride. He and Jasiri at the front. Kiara with Vitani holding her around the waist almost constantly. Madoa resolutely leading a doe-eyed Cheezi along. Janja and Zuri grinning aside at each other. Chungu almost daintily holding Tiifu's hand and looking a little shy about it while the insides of her ears were nearly beet red. His three friends followed on slightly behind, still getting the lay of the land. Fuli, track star wearing her vinyl tracksuit with the jacket open to show off her Savannah tank top. Bunga the soccer phenom, in an almost embarrassingly flamboyant Dhahabu tee that his adopted fathers no doubt picked out for him. Last in line was wrestling team heavyweight Beshte, whose muted ensemble could not offset his personal quirk of almost requiring that he go everywhere with his beloved pet egret, Ono._

_The last thing limited them to places where pets were allowed, which included a few outdoor cafes and a decent number of retro-style arcades. "How you holding up there?" Zuri asked, looking specifically at Fuli who rolled her eyes on noticing. "Gah, spare me the saltiness, Fuli. I didn't get him either. I got something better." She grabbed Janja's Hyenahurst Academy tie and yanked him forcefully in for a quick, hot kiss._

"_Whoa! Hey! I'm not like these fur brains. I-I don't fall for that kinda stuff," Janja insisted, adjusting his tie with exaggerated casualness. "But, you know... feels good havin' a strong lady there for you."_

"_Sure, rub it in, Zuri. That makes you more endearing," Fuli hissed._

"_Come on, don't fight. We can get along," Kiara insisted._

"_It's like my father tells us, sisi ni sawa. It's more true than you might suppose. I mean, looks like we're all Inters here," Jasiri noted._

"_Well, I'm not," Beshte said, reflexively reaching up to pet his preening bird. "And Little B's an Outsider. But I totally respect all of you."_

"_It's completely true. And someday, Dhahabu's gonna be my girlfriend," Bunga said, puffing up his chest and slightly stroking a claw along the picture on his shirt._

"_Keep dreamin', squirt. Isn't she a little old for you?" Janja asked._

"_Madoa's older than me and she's dreamy," Cheezi sighed, hugging up on Madoa's side and making the other hyena stand up a little taller. "It's just a year but look at her. She's got all that height and those big muscles."_

"_Oh don't lie for me. I don't have big muscles. But I'm glad you think I do," Madoa humbly said, kissing Cheezi on top of his head._

"_Dhahabu's a teen star," Bunga loudly said. "She's not that old! I think she's a senior. And I bet she just loves a good sports star."_

"_I sure do," Jasiri laughed, hugging Kion's arm, and shivering a little bit. She was in her usual sundress, a bright yellow one that hung loosely on her form._

"_Hey, what's wrong?" Kion asked._

"_Should have dressed for the place," Jasiri laughed. "For all we're supposed to be tough, I'm kind of a softie in the cold. I put on like ten layers of clothes if we go anywhere near Tundratown."_

"_She seriously looks like a walking pile of laundry," Madoa concurred with a chuckle._

_Kion whipped off his school jacket and offered it to Jasiri. "Here. I don't need it that much."_

_Jasiri slowly slipped on the jacket and hugged herself, leaning her head on Kion's shoulder. "Thank you..."_

_Kion wrapped his arm around Jasiri's back and hugged her to him._

"_Hey! I think Ono could use some ice cream, I sure could," Beshte shouted, the comment drawing out a croaking call from Ono and a shake of his crested head._

"_Zuka zama! Big B, you've always got the best ideas!" Bunga impulsively dashed forward, passing up everyone._

"_I've got him, we'll meet you there," Fuli said, rolling her eyes as she dashed off in Bunga's wake._

"_I think it's going well," Jasiri laughed, hugging Kion a little tighter as they walked along._

The scent still clung to it, puffing out as he squeezed the jacket. That lavender bath scrub he had bought her, a little touch of the breadfruit ice cream she had spilled on it, and her. Her personal scent. The warm smell, a hint of some spicy tinge mixed with a warm earthiness and musk. It was her. No other hyena smelled like her, not to the most minute trace. They had been very chaste together, given they were often around her family, but he had buried his muzzle in her neck, lips pulled back to make every snuffle fill his senses with her.

He tried not to lose himself in the memory and the feeling of pleasant warmth rolling through him. He'd see her again. Soon. He wasn't sure how much time he needed, but he gave himself a few minutes and moved when he heard wine glasses clinking. His father wasn't an alcoholic like his grandfather had been, but he could get very distracted by a good drink. He still cursed that weakness, and resolved to never even touch the stuff himself, but it certainly had some uses.

His paws softly padded along the carpet, his gymnastic training serving him well. He balanced perfectly, stepping in a long crouch, his eyes sweeping around. There was a decent amount of space in the condo, and his father was no longer in the main room. His mother had probably taken him into the private den that was just off the larger more public use living room. He had to pass the entrance to the den to get out the front door, which made him tense up and stretch out every motion.

Reaching out for the doorknob, Kion looked aside into the den. His parents were both on their paws, talking in low tones. His father's back was to the doorway and his mother was casually swirling the dark wine in her glass, keeping her eyes mostly on her husband's face.

Turning the knob was a slow, tense process. His fingers wrapped around it, twisting it as quickly as he dared, wincing as the works ground slight, squeaking and straining. His father's head started to turn, but Nala sensually slid her hand along the back of his head, bringing him in for a kiss. She looked into her son's eyes before vanishing behind Simba's mane, eyes flicking in the direction of the door. That was enough, Kion twisting the knob more firmly and rushing out the front door. He kept the knob turned, grabbing onto the outer knob before releasing the inner one. He closed the door quietly and let the knob go back to a closed position incrementally.

Once he was out of the condo he couldn't think of anything except running. He made for the elevators, hitting Zuber app on the phone he was given. He quickly punched in the details and confirmed it while he rode down in the elevator. Once it was done he pulled up the contacts and his his sister's name.

It was only one ring before Kiara's bubbly voice popped through on the speaker. _"Hey mom! What's up? Did I leave something..?"_

"Kiara! Are you at Vitani's place yet?"

"_Koin? Why do you have mom's phone? And... no, the driver was late, and we had a little thing about going anywhere near Happytown. What's wrong? You sound stressed. Did dad yell at you?"_

Kion hesitated in his answer, staring blankly at the ground. "I wish he had just yelled..."

"_Kion..."_

"When you get there, stay there," Kion almost whispered. "Mom helped me get out of the house. She knows dad's wrong about this. He... he wants me to break up with Jasiri."

"_What? Oh no... no... Kion... Wait! Is he gonna make me..?"_

"No. He said he prefers a poor goth from Happytown to... he said disgusting things about hyenas. He used names that..." Kion shivered and sighed. "But he's angry that you kept it from him. Mom said to stay over there and I was thinking about it too. I got out of the condo and I'm on my way to Tender Fisi's manse."

"_You said he was fine with her. He was just mad I hid it from you."_

"I don't know what to think anymore..." Kion said, head snapping up as the elevator reached the bottom. He stepped out of the elevator into the opulent lobby of the building. All the gold leaf accents and polished marble wasn't as impressive in that moment. "He said he'd give you one last night. I don't know what he's doing."

There was silence from the phone, lasting through Kion's going out the front door, under the stern eye of the rhino in his fancy attire that opened the door for him. _"Her mom doesn't get scared. Vitani takes after her all the way. I can't believe this happened. Want me to warn anyone?"_

Kion stood on the curb, eyes out for the Zuber car. "Oh no... I... I told him that Zuri and Tiifu weren't going to be trying to date me anymore because they're seeing hyenas too. He was so angry, he said he'd force them to break up, make them both marry me. I don't know if they can stay with Janja and Chungu, but you need to warn them dad's gonna make their parents get on them about it."

"_I thought he was just a bigot. He'd yell and then get over it. Listen, I'll call Zuri and Tiifu. I'll... I'll see you really soon, okay little brother?"_

"Asante, sis. I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess," Kion sighed.

"_I kind of knew what I was getting into. Vitani's turning me into kind of a bad queen and I think I like it. Zuri won't be the top tough one for long. Zuri... I can't believe this."_

"I never thought I'd be friends with Hyenahurst athletes. Now I wanna keep being friends. This just isn't fair," Kion huffed.

"_Great-uncle Taka always said life wasn't fair, we have to make it fair for everyone. Kion, we're coming up to the Happytown border. I see Vitani waiting for me. I'll tell her what's going on and call Zuri and Tiifu. Get to Jasiri's place safe, little brother."_

"Thanks sis. I'll see you... soon, I hope," Kion said, ending the call and leaning back against a lamppost with a sigh. He leaned there for a while, before seeing headlights approaching his position.

The driver's side window on the moderate-sized sedan rolled down and the zebra behind the wheel regarded Kion oddly. "Really? A kid? How absurd."

Kion pulled out one of his cards, a large denomination one. "It scans the same as a credit card. I just need to get to the main Peaceground Sanctuary, at the gate to the Manse if you can."

"Well, the app is the app. Get in, youngster," the zebra said with a shrug.

Kion slid into the car and buckled himself in. He checked the other apps on the phone and found MuzzleTime. Kiara mentioning great-uncle Taka drove him to start the app and plug in the details. He remembered that well enough. It would be unusual to get a call from a strange number but if he was available he'd likely pick up.

"You've got my number. That is enough to grant you one minute of... Kion! What a surprise! You got a new phone, did you?" Taka Pride's cultured, rich voice came through the phone speaker loud and clear. His mature face still held the handsome cast of his younger days and his mane was still as dark as ever, with only a few silver streaks running through it, making him look extra distinguished. His scar was likewise the same as ever, never masked or treated by surgery. From the way the screen was filled with light it was day wherever he was. "Well, a bit of conspicuous consumption always kept the family in bucks. I just hope that nephew of mine isn't using it as a way to buy your assent or forgiveness."

"It's mom's phone. She gave it to me for a while. Things are... things are kind of... uncle Taka... you, um... you dated. And you, um, you had... did you ever..." The words wouldn't come. Couldn't come. He wasn't even sure what he was asking. Taka had been an open book, and the question he was trying not to ask would have been settled ages ago.

"Oh great-nephew... you are getting to that age, aren't you? Well, you should be able to discover what suits you. Who suits you," Taka said with a chuckle, the sounds of male and female voices making him turn his head. "Both of you, I'm talking to family. You're free to be elsewhere." He turned back with a smile. "How many. But only if it truly, truly comports with your emotional capability. You can't train that, or force it. Remember that, Kion. If you learn nothing more, follow your heart, the purest kind of love that feels right, not what someone insists."

"Even dad?" Kion asked quietly.

"Oh my... ominous. What has your father forbidden to you? No... who? What precious mammal that no doubt was right has he forbidden?" Taka asked, his face falling to a look of concern and sadness.

"She's a... h-hyena," Kion said, wincing just slightly.

"I should have been able to guess. That brother of mine put that poison in his head. It is fortunate that such toxicity has not passed from sire to son. Don't worry. I may be drawn to my own species but I have no animus toward those who are not. Least of all family," Taka said with a good natured chuckle and a smile. "The population of the city is vast, but still, would I be acquainted with her lineage? I knew your sister's belle through her mother."

"She's from the Fisi family. Her dad's the Head Tender of the sanctuary here. Her aunt used to be on the board of directors at the company," Kion said, a touch of pride moving through him.

"Well now!" Taka said with a sudden energy. "There's a name I haven't heard in a long while. Yes, Shenzi Fisi and her brother Faraja. She had just gotten married back in those days. Some charming and ornamental fellow. A grand one, took care of his... special brother. A man worthy of a firecracker like her to be sure. How are they these days?"

"Living in Hyenahurst. Jasiri and I go over a lot. She cooks us meerkat food and we hang out in the wadi with our friends. Her husband is always dressed up pretty, he says he can afford to be in drag all day every day. The brother is still there, and he's really well taken care of," Kion said.

"Yes, to be expected. Even with the funds they'd never send him to even the finest institution. Family means everything to the Fisis. Jasiri, you say? What a lovely name. Jasiri Fisi-Pride. It has a powerful ring. It echoes across history. That dark hyena fur might reach in and prevent another red generation. Strong lionesses with spotted hides or black-maned lions with barrel chests and strong jawlines. Oh, though you may be a trifle young to think of that. Perhaps. Mm, I hope you've taken precautions."

"Ah, well..." Kion's ears had gone dark red and his eyes darted around. "We don't have a lot of time alone. We're with her dad and mom, or her aunt and uncle, or with her sister, her boyfriend and our friends."

"Yes, at that age I suppose it's more about your friends being close. But we've lost the point. So, your father has taken my brother's poisonous vindictiveness and forbade you to see this girl. I hope you don't think I could have significant influence over him. Those days are gone. You'd be better contacting that lovely couple that raised him. They seem to have luck with him, if only some."

"I talked to Kara and she mentioned something you said about fairness. I thought you might have some kind of advice. How to change his mind, or how to make him see Jasiri is great or something," Kion pleaded.

"My dear boy... I hate to steal hope from you, but my compassion drives me to it. I can't lie to you. There is no changing his mind. It was made up ages ago, long before you were even a glint in anyone's eye. He will feel how he feels about hyenas, presumably forever. I can only advise you to escape from his clutches. I see you are in a car, I presume it is not one of his?"

"I'm in a Zuber, on my way to the Sanctuary. Tender Fisi won't let anyone get me. Kiara's going to stay with her girlfriend's family. You know that Zira can keep her safe."

"Indeed. Another real firebrand. I provided micro-loans and eased the way with obstructive bureaucrats but she provided the passion and drive to get that boarding house for single mothers and other cast-offs. Your sister should be well-defended. But what of you? How did you get out?"

"Mom knew dad was wrong. She gave me her phone because mine was charging. She helped distract dad so I could slip out and told me to tell Kiara to stay away. I'll be fine as soon as I get to the manse. Shouldn't be too long."

"Good. I wish I could offer more help but I have so little power over your father. I would invite you here but that would be worse. I could not take you away from your belle nor her from her family. I am merely a distant family member, my heart full of aches for your plight," Taka sighed, looking aside at another sound. "No, lovelies. I won't be brought up from this so easily. But you are a comfort no matter what. I'm so sorry, Kion."

"It's okay. I needed someone to talk to on the trip. Hug Antonio and Georgina for me. If all of this goes alright I'll be able to go out and visit for the Solstice," Kion sighed.

"Chin up, nephew. You're a resilient one, to be sure. And you, hug and kiss this lovely Jasiri of yours. In fullness of time I'm sure you'll be bringing her 'round so I may dote on a brand new niece," Taka said with a smile, the call cutting out as the hired car drove smoothly though the Savannah Central night.

o o o

After hanging up with Kion, Kiara swiftly paid her driver with a swipe of a card and leaped from the car practically into Vitani's arms. The dark lioness was in her casual best, lightly naturally tattered baggy jeans and a mesh shirt over a black top. She had taken a little effort to safety pin full arm sheaths to the shoulders, the lower part held in place by having a hole for her thumb separated from the area for the rest of her fingers. "Hey, princess! I know I'm great but you don't need to go full-on make-out. Mom's strict but she never stopped us before."

"I... I need to call my friends. I'll explain later but trust me, it's an emergency," Kiara insisted, quickly pulling up her contacts and finding Zuri's name on top of her recents. "Zuri! Please pick up..."

Zuri's laughter came through before he greeting, clear and properly amused. _"Hey, Kiara! You change your mind, wanna come along? Well you-"_

"Zuri! I don't know if there's a lot of time. Is Tiifu there close by?" Kiara asked.

"_Oh! See, I was gonna tell you. I'm at home. We planned the night out, and Tiifu still went with Chungu, and Madoa, and Cheezi. But Janja felt like coming around to our place again. He's got a crazy good relationship with dad, all that swapping jock stories about rugby and soccer. They're in there right now talking trick plays and great evasions."_

"Oh no, oh no, oh no... listen... can you go with him to his place?"

"_Kiara! I kinda expected that out of Tiifu. She's the one on heat over Chungu, figured she'd be-"_

"My dad knows!" Kiara shouted, instantly drawing Vitani's gaze and a curious tilt of her head. "Kion told him, and he did not act like I thought. He wants Kion and Jasiri to be over. He... he wants you and Janja **and **Tiifu and Chungu over. He wants you both with Kion."

"_Yeah, good luck with that"_ Zuri said, her tone practically screaming her eye-roll. _"Are you serious? Did Fuli put you up to this? That's beneath her."_

"I'm serious, Zuri. I didn't know he'd be like this. I thought he'd get upset and just yell a lot. He... you need to go to Janja's house," Kiara insisted.

"_Why? I mean, sure, I don't mind, I'd love to go to his place. But what's wrong with my place?"_

"Dad's not subtle. He wants you to break up with him. He'll bribe your parents to make you. And he has... the suits," Kiara said, whispering the last words.

"_Like I give a hack. Dad can't be bought. He works with enough good mammals who'd gladly ruin your dad! Oh... s-sorry. Just... I'm not giving up Janja! He's handsome and smart and he's got a little attitude. You probably should have called Tiifu. Her parents like Chungu but they're kinda skittish. They'd listen to those sandpaper queens. Look... I'll call her. I thought you were on a date with Vitani. I know she wants to latch onto your muzzle, neck or ear and not let go until that mother of hers squirts her with a water bottle. Worst case, she goes home with Madoa. Tender Fisi should be happy to have her."_

"That's where Kion's going right now. Might be a full house. But okay... okay. Talk to Tiifu. And tell me what happens later. I really want you two to be okay."

"_Relax, Kiara, I've got this. We've got this. Just enjoy your night as much as you can."_

"A-alright. Bye," Kiara whispered, ending the call and slumping, Vitani right there to hold her up.

"Better give me the scoop while we walk, princess. I don't like the sound of this, and I'm sure mother's gonna hate it even more..."

On the other end of the line, Zuri watched the call end and looked out into the condo. She was standing in the kitchen, able to look over the bartop into the main room. Janja was there in his letter jacket and slacks, laughing and elbowing her father, the large, brown-maned lion in his own slacks and a polo shirt heartily laughing right along. "And he's down on the ground, holding his leg, wailing like only a cougar can, writhing and whipping his tail. And the ref's there so all I do is roll my eyes and say, I hit the other leg, you idiot."

Janja cackled extra loud, slapping his knee and sucking in a breath. "I never hit a cougar without getting' a face fulla scream. Can't ever turn it off."

Her mother entered the kitchen, pulling a bag of roasted crickets out of a cabinet, pouring them out into a bowl and giving Zuri a pat on the cheek. "Hey, what's wrong? You never stop smiling when Janja's here."

"Oh just... there's some drama to deal with. You know how it is. Just need to call Tiifu to deal with some stuff," Zuri replied, putting on a wide smile.

"Well, alright..." her mother said.

"I can... it's fine that I'm dating Janja, right?"

"Baby... we wanted you to date a good mammal. Janja is a wonderful boy, and we're happy that he makes you so happy," she said, giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead.

"Thanks mom..." Zuri sighed, bringing up her contacts and hitting Zuri's number.

"_So, changed your mind? Getting bored of listening to your dad tell his old stories and Janja laughing at them?"_

"Are you still out with Chungu, Madoa and Cheezi?"

"_Yes I am, **mom.** It's not like I'm in any danger, I'm with a walking wall of muscle and a dark mane in one of the safest places in the city. We're out at a cafe lounging and abusing their politeness. We keep buying pastry and hot beverages so they won't kick us out but they could probably turn over the tables. Then again, the percentages aren't being hurt that much, and given the day, the time and the population density and general visitor traffic..."_

"Tiifu! I need you to focus on something besides accounting. I know you're just trying to get Chungu to give you goo-goo eyes, I can hear him panting in the background."

"_Sorry. It's too much fun. What's up? Want me to give you the address?"_

"Don't bother. We've got a problem, sounds like a serious one. Mr. Pride freaked out when Kion told him he was dating Jasiri. He went so nuts he not only wants Jariri out of his life, he wants both of us in it."

"_Uh... we're both dating. Even if the first part worked, how would the rest of it?"_

"Kiara says he's gonna try bribing our parents or sending out his suits. I'm not worried, but I'm a little worried for you. It's probably not the best idea but you should go home with Chungu. Or Madoa. Somewhere that won't be affected by Mr. Pride's money."

A long silence followed, the emptiness filled with jovial talk and the crunch of exoskeletons. _"Please be a joke. Please, Zuri. Start laughing. Please."_

"Go with one of them when the date's over. Hide. Don't answer when your parents call. Just wait for me or Kiara. It's going to be fine. He's not going to get us. Trust me. Mr. Pride can't bribe daddy, not with all the bucks in Zootopia. Trust me, this will all work out."

"_O-okay. I'll just... I wait to hear from one of you. B-bye."_

"Bye..." Zuri said, ending the call and looking up to find herself surrounded by her parents and Janja.

"All the bucks in Zootopia..." Her father said slowly. "No, Mr. Pride can't bribe me. But I'm very, very interested in knowing why he would want to try..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beshte and Ono- Beshte's the kind of big but uncertain type, he leans on his relationships with others. So, he has a comfort animal.
> 
> Taka Pride's relationships- It's mostly implied but Taka appears to be a bisexual lion in a poly relationship. He's always understood his own context.


	2. The Battles of Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The young want escape. Simba the monolith demands war. His kingdom come, his will be done. There are promises he snarled at his son he intends to keep. No matter who pays the price.

I do not own Zootopia, that belongs to Disney. This a fan work made solely for the sake of amusement.

**A Different Kind Of Pride**

**Chapter Two: The Battles of Will**

**By: Gabriel LaVedier**

Back at the Pride condo Simba and Nala were still in the den, cuddling up and infrequently kissing. He was nicely buzzed from the wine, a warmth in his belly and a little fog in his head. He stroked over Nala's cheek and nuzzled in at her throat. "Hopefully this will all just blow over."

Nala stroked Simba's cheeks, caressing sweetly and lovingly. "Let's... let's just forget about it. Need another glass?"

Simba nearly reached for the empty glass, pausing to let the statement churn through his slightly dulled mind. "I'm not my father. I can't be distracted that easily. This is important. Our son needs to learn what's right and wrong."

"Yes, of course he does. But we can forget about it for one night. We're going to be talking a lot about it after tonight," Nala said diplomatically.

The wheels turned in Simba's head. Slowly but surely. He had been operating a company for a while, and doing it with occasional martini lunches and friendly drinks with junior executives. He could still think and synthesize conclusions while lightly toasted. "What did you do? Did you tell him he could keep seeing that dirty hyena?"

"Simba, don't say things like that, it doesn't help anyone," Nala sighed.

"I can say what I like, it's my house, I hold control here," Simba insisted, rising from the loveseat and storming out toward Kion's room. "I don't care what your mother told you, that spotted trash isn't going to be coming around-" His comment died when he pushed open the door and saw the room empty.

"Simba..."

"I don't care where he thinks he's going or what's going to happen. Why would you do this?"

"Because you can be wrong and you are wrong this time!" Nala snapped. "He's just in love, and you know what that's like. I only just found out about her but you were loud enough about it... you think that Tender Fisi's daughter isn't good enough for our son? The one who married the ZPD officers and Gazelle and her tiger, who always has uplifting messages Frededas morning, that Tender's daughter isn't good enough for our son?"

"He's a hyena! And so is she. She'll never be good enough..." Simba pulled out his sleek company phone, pulling up a number marked as _Suits_. "Please retrieve my daughter, she'll be in Happytown, you know the location. Track all the family phones, Kion's at the end of one of them, he'll be in Hyenahurst or possibly here in Savannah Central. I'll also need you to take a visit to the homes of Kiara's friends, the Tamus and Kiburis. They need to be told certain things, and... you might want to offer a few choice pieces of advice and suggestions of advantages to taking them. Details to follow but get on that right away."

Nala looked at her husband with a sort of injured disgust. "I tolerate that little piece of you. It's the only thing that's wrong but... I can't believe you'd do this. And to Kiara too."

"She defied me. She knew what her brother was doing and said nothing. Helped him. Got her friends involved with..." Simba sucked in a large breath and released it as a huff. "There's nothing wrong with this position. I know how things are, I know what should be done. We will keep the traditions. Now... there's nothing to do but wait. Things will end as they should, and you know it."

Out in the city there was a small flurry of activity at a Pride company owned building, the large garage door opening to release several vehicles. A couple of low, sleek, enamel black Kama-Itachi racing motorcycles zipped out with high pitched whines of their sporty engines, mounted by black-suited figures with aerodynamic black racing helmets. After them sped low-built black-bodied Raiju sports cars, their windows darkly tinted and their engines roaring with aftermarket power. The vehicles went mostly in the same direction then split off at different exits, swiftly aiming for their destinations.

The two bikes sped through the city within the district, moving into the same posh neighborhood and splitting off to arrive at two different condo buildings. The two riders parked on the street outside the buildings, sliding off their helmets and sliding on dark sunglasses, their lioness faces set solid and uncaring.

A short while later a hard knock rang through the Kiburi condo, Zuri's father quickly opening the door with a scowl on his face. "I was expecting you. You can go right ahead and go back to the withering chaos you came from."

"Don't be so quick, Mr. Kiburi. You don't even know what I'm going to say," the lioness said with a painfully neutral tone. It was like her voice radiated an aura of pure beige. "I was going to give you a message from Mr. Pride. He's feeling very generous. And would like it if your daughter would consider a... supervised courtship with his son."

"Kion's got a girlfriend already, and I've got someone too," Zuri huffed, clutching Janja's arm tightly.

"Yeah. Kion's a friend-a mine. He wouldn't want to ruin that friendship, and he ain't the kind to mess up what he's got going with Jasri," Janja firmly stated, standing firmly pressed to Zuri.

"Sorry, I can't exactly overrule my daughter when it comes to a personal choice like this," Mr. Kiburi said with an unctuous smile and a shrug of his broad shoulders.

"Now, you've bothered my family enough," Mrs. Kiburi firmly said, striding forward casually, fingers curling smoothly, her muscles flexing carefully to push out the tips of her claws. "This is my home, this is my domain. Your boss doesn't have control here. You get out or I'll call the ZPD and report an intruder. My whole family saw you trying to force your way in and I was afraid for my life."

The other lioness remained unfazed, impassive behind her dark shades. "You won't. Maybe they'd back you up but you won't do it."

"Look in my eyes and tell me you know that, absolutely," Mrs. Kiburi rumbled.

A long moment passed before the lioness turned away. "Good evening. I'll report your obstinacy and obstreperous reaction to Mr. Pride. He should have many interesting things to say."

"I've got some things to say as well, mostly to my attorneys. And to the Tamus. They may be skittish but they're not heartless. That boss of yours might be a little grander than us, but he doesn't have the support he thinks. Brittle as I bet he thinks they are, they aren't going to break," Mr. Kiburi stated.

"You think we did this one at a time? Stupid, just stupid," the lioness flatly said. "He's already broken. Both of them are. Call him. He's already demanding his daughter throw away that spot-hide in favor of Kion. You had your chance. Now you'll pay for it."

"Hey! That's my friend! Lousy... Zuri! I can take her!" Janja insisted, pulling against Zuri's grip on him.

"You can't! I don't want you hurt! Sit down and let someone else handle this!" Zuri cried, her teeth bared and eyes moist. Her pulling became softer as she led Janja over to a couch, where they melted into each others embrace. She noticed out of the corner of her eye the blurry form of her father on the phone.

At the Tamus the same kind of lioness was standing in their midst, tall, imperious, looking down on the pair of lions. She had her arms crossed and was maintaining her stony face. "I do not enjoy long assignments nor do I enjoy repetition. I told you what you will do and you will do it. You will do as you're told and be given ample compensation and a better match for your daughter. Now... where is she and how soon can you have her return?"

Mr. Tamu didn't dare look all the way up, but he did lift his head some and almost looked near her sunglasses. "I... I told you. I'm not making her break up with Chungu. I know what he can offer, but Tiifu doesn't want to date Kion, she's perfectly happy now."

"That doesn't matter. You won't let that bother you. You want stability for her. Protection. She's weak. She's brittle. She'll shatter like glass if you don't set her up with someone of means and stability," the suit insisted, her words all the more cutting for their lack of emotion.

"That's our daughter! She's not as helpless as you think!" Mrs. Tamu rose slightly from her seat, slowly shrinking back down after her passion left her.

Further commentary was halted when a phone started ringing. A moment of searching brought up Mr. Tamu's device, which he answered under the intruding lioness' withering blank stare. "Mzinku, this isn't the..."

"_She's there, isn't she, one of his suits. You don't need to answer, I can hear it. Send her off."_

"It's not quite so easy as that..." Mr. Tamu said.

"_Tell her I sent off the other one. Simba Pride does not intimidate me, and I'm sure you held out more than he suspected."_

"I adamantly refused to tell her where Tiifu and Chungu went, and I did not bend on her demands to force her together with Kion. Hardly seems like the boy."

"_It isn't. It's that arrogant bigot of a father. Just tell her to go away. I know where Tiifu will go, it's certainly not back there. Kiara already told her to stay away."_

"Where is she?! Where is she going! Tell me! Please!" Mr. Tamu demanded, eyes wide and pupils round in panic.

"_Not while she's there. Just relax. You know you can trust me when I tell you it's all fine. Zuri told her where she could go to stay safe. And I'm sure you can take a guess where it might be."_

Mr. Tamu sighed, dropping back onto the couch. "I-I have some idea. It's not ideal but I'd rather that than what might happen if she comes here. Thank you. I... I don't like this but Tiifu matters more than my worry. It's always for her. And I can count on your help. I know it."

"_Me, some lawyers and... you know the rest. Just send her off and get to bed. I'm guessing you need the sleep."_

"It's been hard. Thanks, Mzinku. I'll wait for your following call," Mr. Tamu sighed, hanging up the call and turning his gaze near the Pride company lioness. "Get out of my home. Your friend got thrown out of the Kiburi house. He's going to support me. He's going to ruin your boss."

The lioness reacted, just a touch, the portion of her lip on the right side of her philtrum giving a little twitch. "It won't help. He's not as powerful as Mr. Pride. You have the offer. You'll take it."

"Get out!" Mrs. Tamu cried, trembling a little. "My little queen won't be bought by your horrible boss! I didn't even hear that conversation but she's somewhere safe. She's with Chungu, she's perfectly safe from you. Go!"

"That worthless gnat won't protect her. But not knowing where he is is good enough. One of you will break and say where she is," the lioness said. She pulled out a card from a pocket on her suit, a small rectangle of white paper with only a phone number in stark black on the face. "Someone will sell her out to do the right thing." She set the card down on a side-table by the door as she was leaving.

The Tamus stared at the card for a while, Mrs. Tamu standing up finally, tearing the card without looking at it and dropping the pieces into a trash can.

Back out in the city the cars went along to very different places. One had the longer route, a taboo route as generally understood in the city. The car plunged past the demarcation line, passing from the 'normal' city into the run-down area of Happytown. The sleek sports car was woefully out of place among the junkers parked on the streets and many an eye was cast on it, though the details of its construction and color made everyone turn their heads and ignore it.

The car pulled up to a relatively large red brick building, a kind of squat block of apartments. The place looked much better kept than the rest of the place. The graffiti on the outside was entirely artistic, filled with images of nature and a portrait of Taka Pride. Over the main entrance was a large sign proclaiming, _Termite Terrace Boarding_. Under the sign was the front stoop, on which sat a dark-toned lioness with sharp and mature features. She was dressed in a worn but cared-for Pride Heavy Manufacturing utility jumpsuit in gold and green and a pair of heavy-duty cloth gloves. She had a large pipe wrench slung over her shoulder and seemed no worse for carrying it. As the black car disgorged a trio of dark-suited lionesses she stood up and casually strode forward. "You can go right ahead and get back in that car. I know why you're here and it's not happening. That little queen is with **my** little queen, and they're not being separated by the likes of you."

"You misunderstand the situation entirely, Ms. Kaamu," the driver said, standing in an identical casual pose as the rest of the lionesses. "We're here to escort Kiara home. We're not going hurt her, we're not going to hurt your daughter. Her father has decided she needs to come back because she's been grounded. There were... personal, family issues."

"Yes, and I know exactly what they are," Zira snarled, pointing the wrench at the trio without trouble. "All this over her brother's girlfriend. She'll get back home on her own. Just go ahead and leave."

"This is a complicated social issue. Go back to your slum-house and stay out of matters that involve the actually important in this city," the forward lioness said. "Make this easy. This is a garbage assignment, literally. Bring her out so we can all be done with this."

"You underestimate my force of will. I don't care how long it takes to chase you stray pigeons off, but you stray pigeons are being chased off. I have all the time in the world for my daughter. And let's not kid ourselves here, my daughter-in-law as soon as she reaches the proper age. Right now, I have more emotional concern for her than your boss," Zira asserted.

"As though you have that kind of emotional depth. We're going to go inside now and get Kiara," the driver lioness said.

Zira pointed to a sign by the front door. "No soliciting, no proselytizing, no trespassing. If I say you can't come in, you're not coming in."

"You're the proprietress of this insect hatchery, are you always out here to keep track of who comes in?"

"I am today. Good thing, too," Zira snorted.

The door behind Zira opened, letting out her sons and her daughter. The boys were in matching black slacks and short-sleeve white button-up shirts, looking rather upmarket for the location, while Vitani was still in what she had been in before. "Mother says you should leave. So leave, right now," Nuka huffed.

"This isn't ending well for you. You're not coming in, and being intimidating only lasts so long in Happytown. Someone will strip that fancy car for parts. Doesn't matter who your boss is," Kovu snorted.

"Get back inside. I can take care of this. They might have others out to sneak into the place. You're all so morally good, and your boss is the pinnacle of perfection," Zira said in a mocking tone.

"We do what's necessary, not what's morally pure. And to the absolute limit of the law," the head lioness said.

"Just what we need, mercenaries. Can't even get the good ones. I guess a garbage class of lion hires a garbage class of goons. At least Mrs. Seedsworth owned her mistakes," Vitani mocked.

The back left passenger lioness broke, her face creasing in a snarl. "No ex-soldier bodyguard company from the phonebook is even close to our level of perfection. Mr. Pride hires only the best, and that's what we are."

"Not you," the driver coldly stated. "You let an emo teen get to you? Your performance review is going into the circle file. Hope you have a new job lined up."

"I'm a goth, you ignorant sandpaper-dentata. What, are you going to say _How do fellow cubs_ and think you know what you're talking about? It's not cool anymore, but it's me. Want to see my Candide albums as cred?" Vitani petulantly asked, forward momentum halted by the intervention of her brothers.

"Come on, settle it, sis, we've got this," Kovu said with a winning smile.

"Save it for the girls at Savannah, I live with you," Vitani said with a roll of her eyes. "You've got nothing. I've got **this**." She slipped a bulge down one of her sleeves and flicked her wrist quickly, the clatter of metal revealing a switchblade.

"This is not the time," Zira said, pointing back inside. "If you insist on flicking out that toothpick take it back inside to guard Kiara. She'll be impressed by your misplaced chivalry. They will leave on their own. We do not need to provoke them. Amusing as it is."

"They started it, I'll finish it. They've got insurance," Vitani snarled. "Kiara's staying right here." She struggled a bit more before flicking the knife back into covered mode and sliding it into her sleeve. With a final, hateful look at the suits she stepped back into the building.

"I should let my daughter vent her spleen on you, but she needs to be alive to walk down the aisle. Now... leave," Zira demanded.

"You're not going to win this. We get good salaries to do this work and don't have anywhere to be. You're running a meter and we can stand here all night," the driver lioness said.

Nuka cracked his knuckles as she slowly strode forward. "Despite popular rumors, Taka Pride is not my father. But he taught me how to settle these kinds of situations. Let's negotiate something. We have the leverage and the home advantage."

"Nuka, your sister-in-law is not leverage," Zira snorted.

"She's not your kin yet, Happytrash," the back left passenger lioness spat, pulling a sleek, high-yield elite grade taser from inside her black suit coat and pointing it at Nuka. "Your bargaining chip isn't yours to spend. You won't hurt her, you'll never hand her over. Negotiations, concluded."

"Huh... it always seemed a bit easier when he tried to teach me," Nuka said with a shrug. "Sure, we won't give her over now, but we all know she's not going to speak to him, and will stay away. Maybe we can talk her into talking to him, get her to go home sooner, if he gives his word about certain things she told us about."

"No deal, Mr. Pride wants her back, immediately. Not a day sooner than she wants, not on the phone. Her, home, now," the armed lioness insisted. "Are we getting cooperation or is this where you stand."

"I think my brother has the right idea but, we can get some kind of wiggle room, right?" Kovu asked, casually sliding along past Nuka, smiling his best charming smile. "You seem reasonable."

"Just back off kid, I'm too old to be beating the mane-gel off of you but I will," the taser-wielding lioness said.

"Hey, no need for threats here, let's be civil..." Nuka started, striding forward with a finger wagging.

The crackle of live taser contacts rang out, the heavy barbs digging deeply into Nuka's flesh, screaming ripped out of him with every pulse. He hit the ground hard, head cracking on the sidewalk and leaving a smear of blood.

"Nuka!" Kovu didn't think about anything, he leaped at the lioness shocking his brother, another coming up with her hand awkwardly reaching into her jacket. In a moment of improvisation she raked out, catching him over his eye, sending out a rush of blood and pushing him back enough to let her extract and use her taser on him, sending him down to the ground, falling heavily on his side and knocking his head a little bit.

Zira had started running when Nuka fell, and reached the trio when Kovu had been dropped. The third lioness tried to casually and professionally dispatch Zira but shrieked in pain as a swing of the wrench slapped the taser out of her hand and the other woman's momentum bulled her back into the car. The others had ejected the spent heads and were trying to slap in more when they were turned on, The pistols were swatted at, one of them knocked out and bashed with the wrench, the other one unable to get into firing position.

"We're done, we're done! Somebody drive!" The stricken lioness spoke with a gasp, not quite recovered form being slammed into the car and still in pain from being disarmed. She slid into the back seat, the other two madly dashing into the car from the far side of Zira, piling into the back and locking the doors while scrambling to get one into the front. The car sprang to life while Zira hammered the carbon fiber body and smashed the windows, the reinforced panes cracking but remaining mostly in place. A little grinding and revving later the car jerkily pulled away, jumping the curb at a few points and speeding away as best as it could.

"Vitani! Vitani! Call an ambulance!" Zira screamed, falling to her knees and dropping the wrench, staring at her sons. Nuka was simply out, and Kovu was deeply groaning, writhing around in pain, holding the claw mark on his face.

o o o

The other car had arrived at their destination well before the ill-fated one. They remained in the district, pulling around to the back of the enormous Peaceground sanctuary. The impressive structure of swirling curves and beautifully decorative tile pieces was muted in the dark of night. Behind the generous parking lot for the structure was an area partitioned off with a high brick wall and iron gate. The headlights of the car washed over the gate, illuminating Tender Fisi, the mature hyena dressed in his rainbow-colored Tender's robes, pince-nez spectacles occasionally flashing as they caught the light. "The Sanctuary property is for all worshipers and good mammals of honest intent, eager to seek out the solace of peace. But beyond this wall is my home. Beyond here I control the ground. You will not pass this gate, tonight or any other time."

"We want what belongs to our employer," one of the lionesses from the car said. The three stood by the vehicle, staring down the hyena male. "By rights he can demand his son come home. This is kidnapping."

"Kion fears for his life and safety. He has advised his sister not to come home either. This manse is also a sanctuary, a place where a runaway can seek asylum from the danger they have fled," Tender Fisi asserted.

"Let us make this easy, we'd prefer light duty. We'll call the ZPD and have them come down here with a warrant, a bulldozer, and handcuffs. We'll see how strong this gate is and how well a weakling like you will stand."

"Weak? Perhaps. I am but a male hyena. The flesh is weak, but my spirit is strong. I stand for what is right. Kion has good reason to flee. And you can enjoy the ZPD laughing in your face. What a weak bluff. I told you, legal sanctuary. By reaching here, Kion is now protected by the Church Association. An army of lawyers with an ocean of writs would crash on these walls and ebb out slowly, for nothing. Tell Simba Pride he can keep his filthy money if it comes to it. He's no lover of peace, no son of the watering hole," Tender Fisi calmly said.

"You're short one daughter. She can be found. We were given an inkling of where to look. Hyenahurst, if she doesn't plan to come back here she will be with your sister, in a place that has only a flimsy doormammal, easy enough to bluff or bribe. Do we deal now?" The head lioness asked, speaking flatly, matter-of-factly.

"To use a father's love against him shows what you really are. You have no shame, you have no honor. You can certainly try to convince my sister to give up Madoa. You will fail. You will be on the hook for kidnapping. Using her like a trade token. Disgusting. This is more illegal than anything you accuse me of."

"We do anything necessary to get the job done. Anything. Mr. Pride is nothing like his uncle, he wants results immediately and without fuss. So bring us Kion, immediately. This is just wasting our time and yours."

"Nothing worthy of action is ever wasted time. You're mercenaries, you get paid for every moment you are here. I am here for Kion and my daughter. But since there are physical and legal protections, I don't have to indulge you. It's a quiet night. Kion can stay on the couch for now. Please be off the property in a timely manner, there are gray areas involved with loitering on land like this, but my word will have you run in for it, I'm sure. Good night, ladies. Pass my message to your odious employer," Tender Fisi said, turning down the short path into the abode.

The normally light and airy suburban-like home had taken on a dark cast. All the electric lights shone harshly and starkly on the semi-gloss paint, across the second-paw furnishings and IBEXA containers. Jasiri and Kion were holding onto each other, with Mrs. Fisi softly patting their backs. The hyena woman was rather large, a head higher than her husband, broad in the shoulders and rippling with muscles. She had on a tank top from the company she owned, _Laughing Place Construction_ and gray sweat pants. She looked up at her husband, slightly scowling. "Did you get rid of those hired goons or do I need to go out and remind them whose house this is?"

"There's no need for violence. There is very seldom any call for violence. We can resolve this peacefully, mostly by them simply going away," Tender Fisi said, joining everyone on the couch.

Mrs. Fisi sighed and shook her head. "I love you, Faraja, but we can't always rely on the better inclinations of mammal nature. They might not have them. They're here threatening us, that's not an inclination to peace. Let me teach them the folly of rancor. It's not pure rage, it's the fruits of their malice."

"Thank you for offering my love, sacrificing some of your goodness to teach lessons that could be useful. But let them be. They will leave on their own, and they won't be catching Madoa tonight," Faraja said with a resolute nod.

"I texted her. Told her it was too late to get here with Tiifu. She's going to stay with aunt Shenzi, but didn't say if she was taking Tiifu or letting her stay with Chungu. Probably for the best, keeps things uncertain," Jasiri said, running her muzzle along Kion's.

"I can't... I mean, the suits? I always heard they solved problems but I thought... dad..." Kion pressed tighter to Jasiri, muzzled buried in her neck, directly inhaling the intoxicating scent that had been teasing him all night. "Why?"

"Some thoughts... linger..." Faraja said softly. "They set in like weeds in youth. The roots grab hold, strangle, become entrenched. And like strangling weeds they can kill off any beautiful new growth and erode even mighty structures. No doubt his youth was colored by such sentiments and reinforced by repetition, another's or his own."

"It wasn't great-uncle Taka. He isn't an inter, but he was happy to have hyenas around. It's not grandpa Timon or Pumbaa, they're inters. I can't understand it," Kion sighed.

"Better that you not understand. Better that you be unable to comprehend the bile in your father's heart, the hate that flows in him. The less you know, the more it's clear you're a wonderful partner for my daughter," Faraja said with a large smile.

Some time later the sound of a revving engine and squealing tires came from outside. "They didn't have to annoy the neighborhood but at least they left..." Mrs. Fisi huffed.

Kion's phone sprang to life, showing Kiara's number on the face. "Kiara? Did you get the..?"

"_Kion! They... the suits! They attacked Vitani's brothers! I think Kovu's going to lose an eye, Nuka might be... he's... you have to get to Peaceground Memorial!"_

"What? They... no, this isn't possible!" Kion screamed.

"_The ambulance almost didn't come. I made sure they came and I made sure they took both of them. Zira rode with them, Vitani and I are taking a Zuber to the hospital. I need you there. This is... this is crazy. Tender Fisi should be there, just in case Nuka... please little brother."_

"Okay, okay, we'll be there... bye..." Kion slumped down when the call ended. "They... I can't believe it."

"What's wrong? What did she say?" Jasiri asked.

"The suits... they're not supposed to... but..." He shuddered. "Kiara said they attacked Vitani's brothers. Kovu might lose his eye, and Nuka... T-tender Fisi, she wants us to come to Peaceground Memorial, in case he..."

Faraja rose up resolutely. "Let us go. Simba Pride has gone too far. I'll tend to these poor unfortunates. Crass as it may sound, we'll bring attention to this great injustice. Jasiri, Kion, inform your friends of what has happened, if they are not already aware. If anyone wishes, have them meet us at the hospital. You've said these mammals were from Happytown?"

"What? Y-yeah. Zira Kaamu and her kids, they're all living there in a boarding house she owns, that great-uncle Taka helped her fund," Kion said, looking quite distracted.

"She will have trouble with getting proper care I think. I'm sure that I can have a positive influence over that. Such a bitter and shriveled fruit is hate..." Tender Fisi sighed, leading everyone out through the short hallway to garage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Termite Terrace- Appropriate given in the movie she lived in termite mounds. But more, it's a reference to a famous animation studio.
> 
> Sandpaper-Dentata- Apply cold water directly to burn. This is the severest oath a feliform of any kind can hit against a female of their kind. In the prior chapter the super mild form of "sandpaper-queens" was used by someone with marginally more restraint. Vitani gives exactly zero cusses when it comes to someone threatening her girlfriend.
> 
> Candide Albums- Vitani is truly classic. She's a teen, but if she's talking about multiple albums as cred she truly went back a ways, probably in a bargain bin. Candide, of course, is a stand-in for the Goth musician Aurelio Voltaire Hernandez, usually just known as Voltaire. The name comes from the name of a novel by the original Voltaire. It sounds vaguely animal-ish and it fits.
> 
> Laughing Place Construction- Br'er Rabbit surely isn't the only animal that loves to laugh.


	3. A Poison Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bitter is the fruit of anger and hate. And no one ever tastes that bitterness all alone.

I do not own Zootopia, that belongs to Disney. This a fan work made solely for the sake of amusement.

A Different Kind Of Pride

Chapter Three: A Poison Tree

By: Gabriel LaVedier

The worst thing about any hospital was the lingering smell. All the air-scrubbers, pressurized sections, seclusion areas and pass-through chambers couldn't help the power of most mammalian noses. It smelled most like a miasma of antiseptic, unwashed fur, latex, blood, some bodily fluids, a small whiff of infection, and the smallest hint of death. Past the sensitive noses, sensitive ears always caught a cacophony of beeps from every heart monitor, moving at the pace of dozens of different hearts, racing as their bodies burned with fever and languidly pulsing as their heavy hearts thudded to a conclusion.

Two monitors beeped nearly in unison in a room slightly set aside from the main area. A flurry of activity had finally ceased, examinations, emergency treatment, and setting them up to rest comfortably. They at least had the luxury of being together, beds close to one another. The whole location was a bland standard, plain seafoam and cream checkerboard floors, pastel blue walls, acoustic tile ceiling with florescent lights. Each got a side-table, a television across from them, and a lamp. IV stands held the bags dripping their contents into their arms, and close by the monitors read out their conditions in the numeric language of beats, pressure and oxygen.

Zira sat in one of the stiff, slightly firm hospital chairs between the two beds facing toward their faces and holding onto both of their hands. Her dark-rimmed eyes were reddened from tears, her brow furrowed, and jaw set tight. She was hardly alone in the room. Behind her Vitani was sobbing into Kiara's neck, who tried her best to comfort her with pats. Kion was there too, looking blankly over the scene with Jasiri at his side. Tender and Mrs. Fisi were in there as well, the Tender looking heartbroken and his wife looking angry.

"Nuka was lucky. It was a terrible hit but there wasn't swelling. He's still torn his head open, there may be skull damage and the concussion... That accursed broken street... and Kovu... his eye was spared but that rake was deep. They stitched it up but he'll have a scar. Now the rumors about him being Taka's son will never stop," she chuckled softly, rubbing the back of Kovu's hand. "They've been sedated. Th-thank you, Tender Fisi. I'm certain we would have been thrown out onto the street with gauze and some painkillers, if they thought we weren't junkies."

"They wouldn't dare," Faraja sighed. "I should feel awful trading on my good name but for the right cause it's the only proper thing to do."

"The proper thing to do is to put a fist through Simba Pride's face," Mrs. Fisi snarled.

"I can't say that you are correct, but I cannot be certain if I would stand in your way. The edges of morality are so gray and jagged," Faraja sighed, leaning in to hug his wife, seeming to calm her ire somewhat.

"If it wasn't so far I'm sure I'd attend sanctuary," Zira said, slightly gasping when Nuka twitched and then went still again. "He approached her wagging his finger, trying to stop her from threatening Kovu. Then it all happened. It was a disaster."

"I can't believe... dad... dad's not..." Kion bit his lower lip and tugged on it for a bit. "I don't know... I don't know what to think about this anymore..."

"Young one, believe, if nothing else, that he did not order this outcome. He made bad decisions, and the failings of mammals compounded the errors. Not malice, merely tragic choices made in ignorance," Faraja sighed.

"I don't care if he didn't do it on purpose, he hurt my sons, nothing changes that," Zira hissed. "He had a heart full of hate when he sent them out, standing there like statues hurling insults as his proxies. He put them there, he sent them out with their arrogance and disdain. He did this and he will pay."

"The law will make him pay. Orderly retribution by the forces that we all must abide," Faraja insisted. "Please, I know this pain is raking you. My other daughter is out there and they know where she is. But please do not let your heart fall to chaos and disorder. Your sons need you, and they won't have you if you act rashly."

"Chaos can feel so, so very good sometimes. Sometimes it feels like it needs to come..." Zira rumbled.

"You may not agree but I find I'm in accord. Your high mind is wonderful but practical needs exist," Mrs. Fisi said. "Imagine if that was Jasiri and Madoa in those beds. I know even you would have a little seething ball of anger carefully chained in the back of your mind."

"Mwezi... I am an open book to you, aren't I?" Faraja laughed, somewhat mutedly. "I am a male hyena. Frail in many ways. Strong as my devotion is, I have base desires as well. And had our daughters been hurt... I cannot say. But I likely would feel the heat of anger."

"Let me shoulder the anger, Tender, I'm good at it," Zira snarled. "I don't like being so angry, but Happytown stamps itself on a body."

"So I have seen, so many times. Please try to... refrain from overt harm to them," Faraja said delicately.

"I still have a butterfly knife in my sleeve," Vitani rumbled into Kiara's neck.

"You're so brave, so strong. Maybe you could have helped," Kiara whispered, kissing Vitani on the ear.

"Let's... keep that to ourselves, perhaps. Violence is not best, child. Defense is... defense is... I can see that you were there to defend your precious one. You have such care for one another. I hope I will see you before the altar in the fullness of time," Faraja said with a small smile.

"Soon as her birthday hits, she's got the later one. Well... her birthday after the next one. We were just going to go to city hall. Can't really... you know... we're just not that... of means," Vitani said, delicately.

"I told you, I'll pay for a fancy wedding. I'm sure daddy won't anymore. But I'll save up all my money for a wedding and even a honeymoon to Sahara Square or Outback Island," Kiara whispered, kissing up Vitani's neck.

"And keep your mouth in very chaste places. Until you put that ring on each others fingers, you will abide by good morals," Zira insisted.

"Yes, mother," Vitani said, giving Kiara a smile. "Glad the ordinary things can make this less... terrible."

Kiara responded to a chime from her phone, sighing a bit. "Zuri's father is angry, and he's getting loud. He wants to donate to their care and is going to offer his lawyers to take daddy to task."

"I don't need lawyers, I need his suits and five minutes," Zira rumbled.

"Anger will bloom strange and shriveled fruit. Perhaps you may enjoy the bitterness as lovers of durian savor the flesh and forgive the odor. But what of those around you? You never taste bitterness alone," Faraja sagely said.

"Once more, Tender, my children are hurt. And I hurt with them, because I was too slow to protect them. I promise not to gut them like salmon, but let me imagine the calming sight of it happening. Please," Zira asked.

"No mammal is perfect, and I can hardly control what is in your head. Think what you will, but never act. In some way, that is more moral than the mammal that never has such thoughts at all," Faraja said.

"Should we... stay? There's no place to go besides home... your home, I mean," Kion said, somewhat muffled in Jasiri's neck.

"I'm given to understand the hospital has some sort of accommodations for those who must stay over certain periods. You may end up sleeping on a comfortable chair but... I don't think we'll be leaving for a while," Faraja said.

A short space of time passed in silence before the room's mood was altered by the arrival of a new figure. Chief Bogo stepped through the door, dipping his head respectfully to the assembled mammals. "There was a lot of conversation, between the police brass, the commissioner and myself. The report from emergency services contained two names. Happytown, and Pride. No one was dispatched for reasons I am ashamed to contemplate, but also to take the political temperature, especially after hearing of you, Tender. Politics should never come before the law, so I came myself, to show how serious this is."

"You'll have a time of it, for the political and social reasons you presume," Faraja sighed. "Your victims are incapable of answering your questions. Better this sedation than the screaming of pain and agony."

"Apparently there are still witnesses. Ma'am, I know this is difficult..." Bogo began.

"It was the agents of Simba Pride and you know it, you said it," Zira snarled. "They rolled up in that low, black car of theirs. Three of them, those lionesses in severe suits. Taka kept them employed but hardly used them. I saw them taking care of minor issues. Simba seems to use them to keep his will strong. They came, they told me they were there to take Kiara, for their boss. He cannot claim to have never seen them. Check other hospitals. I know for certain I broke one of their hands and I hope I broke some ribs. If the neighborhood has behaved there will be pieces of shatter-resistant glass and the broken remnant of one of their tasers, possibly the one that downed Nuka. That car is going to need work. The window safety glass held up well but I did shatter it. Damn that carbon fiber body. I think it was broken as well."

Bogo took note of everything said, eyes focused on the somewhat small notepad he was using. "I mean nothing by saying this but I need you to understand that your statement will be considered biased. This is only a reality you must be prepared to see mentioned in court. But I need to know the specifics. What caused this?"

"Nuka was trying to negotiate with them. Taka tried to make a businessmammal out of him, give him some training in negotiation. He was trying to convince them to go away in exchange for Kiara returning home early or calling him. They refused everything. Kovu came up to try his usual sweet-talking. Ah... he likes to think he's a romantic, and he can be charming but he doesn't quite have it. It's mostly good looks. The one that had taken out her taser was very rude, threatening to beat the mane-gel off of Kovu. Nuka stepped forward, wagging his finger and telling her to leave him alone... then... the shock, he fell, hit his head, gashed it open..." Zira sucked in a huge breath, trembling a bit as the memory took her.

"And you are asserting that they did not in any way act to unduly provoke them? Not that it matters much, civilians that they are..." Bogo muttered.

"That one, the first one, she was the weak link. When my Vitani insulted them by stating they were garbage hired by garbage she got angry, said they were more skilled than the likes of Mrs. Seedsworth's former organization. The driver of the car tried to keep a cooler head, chastising her underling for reacting. I sent Vitani back inside to guard Kiara, in case they tried to violate my demand they stay out. Private property, I had the right to refuse them entry," Zira insisted.

"If you hold the deed or have been ceded control via your agreement with the property holder, yes, absolutely. Any intrusion would be trespassing. Just demanding to be let in and threatening to try is certainly intent, even if it would just add up to a misdemeanor," Bogo said.

"She was too angry, she wanted her will done. The will of Simba. Fine, I'm certain her boss didn't tell her to attack us, but he sent her out. Her anger made her misinterpret Nuka's innocent gesture. His brother rose to his defense and was claw-raked when another couldn't taser him fast enough. They all ran away when I proved to be too much for their arrogance. When you find them I hope they're still afraid of me," Zira huffed.

"Don't... don't take that in any kind of unduly harsh manner that makes her defense of her sons seem somehow improper," Faraja said, quickly placing himself in Bogo's field of view.

"I only hear the pain of a victim. Police officers get used to how mammals react to violations," Bogo dryly noted. "Did you have any specifics? License plates or specific names?"

"All those golden lionesses look alike on purpose. Groomed the same, dressed the same, sized the same, wearing those ridiculous sunglasses like characters from a bad movie. They're meant to confuse the ones they're used against," Zira snorted. "They lacked a front plate, they always do. They keep the rear plate but I couldn't read it while I was down cradling my injured sons."

"We can subpoena Pride's records, get names of these lionesses, the plates of the vehicles. I don't mind private protective services, security guards, body guards. I care very much about lawless mercenaries operating in my city," Bogo grunted.

"I didn't see it, but sounds like the one I got to did the first strike," Vitani said. "She's touchy. Snapped off at me for saying Mrs. Seedsworth owned up to her mistakes. Get her alone and push her buttons, she'll show herself. Probably sell out the rest. The leader threatened to can her. Called me an emo, the ignorant sandpaper-den-"

"Vitani!" Kiara said sharply. "We talked about this. I know you're mad and I know you're tough but you promised you'd cut down on saying that."

"She earned it," Vitani insisted. "Fine, princess. For you, I'll cut it down to that raspy queen called me emo. I had to tell her I'm a goth. She'll slip up if you ask, I know it."

"It's something if they intend to hide as an indistinguishable mass," Bogo said. "There's not much more to be done tonight. I'll have to get statements from them when they awaken and the doctors say they can be legally coherent. Was there anything else?"

"Oh plenty, they weren't just trying to pick me up," Kiara said. "Daddy got a little crazy, sent them out to my friends. Zuri Kiburi and Tiifu Tami. He has this thing about Kion dating Jasiri. He wants it over. He thought he could bribe and scare their parents into making them break up with their hyena boyfriends."

"He told me he would figure out a way to have me marry both of them, like we're some primitive old stone age cave lions. Not even bunnies do it that much anymore, and it's legal for them," Kion huffed.

"He really sent them out to intimidate parents into... this is unbelievable," Bogo huffed. "Are you certain?"

Kiara shook her phone and nodded. "Text chats and a few short calls to pass along the news. Zuri and Tiifu were supposed to go on a triple date with their boyfriends and Jasiri's sister Madoa and her boyfriend. Tiifu and Madoa went, but Zuri stayed in. Janja, her guy, gets along super good with her father. Janja is still there with Zuri, but Tiifu just isn't at home. Thought she'd come back with Madoa but that didn't work. She's either with Chungu, her guy, or with Madoa probably at her aunt's place in Hyenahurst, that's where the date was."

Bogo finished getting down all the details about the rest of the tangentially involved parties, rubbing his chin slowly. "This will not remain quiet at all. Too late for special Night edition, they'll have something in the Matin edition. Please be advised that I am not saying anything you are about to hear. Simba Pride is a professional businessmammal who does nothing but think of his own reputation, appearance, and ego. He will do anything to do damage control, release statements absolving him of blame. He will fire anyone he needs to. Perhaps convince them to lie. You must get ahead of him. That is all something I don't think I can or should say."

"Not... going... to be the first one..." Kiara said, rapidly tapping on her phone. "Not if Mrs. Tamu has anything to say about it. Tiifu is going to tell her mother to put it on ZNN, and get Selene to say something about it."

"I heard nothing of the sort. It will be a great surprise to see it in major media. Please refrain from giving details to the press. General things, nothing of legal import," Bogo warned.

"They're going to make statements to the press, them and the Kiburis about being threatened in their homes by the same mammals that attacked Nuka and Kovu," Kiara said, scrolling through new responses on her phone. "Zuri's hashtagging the whole thing on Howler and making a big deal on Snoutbook. Inter Pride, Inter Love, Lyena Love, Hyon Love. She's really on point for how late it is."

"Perhaps I should say something as well. They were sitting outside my gate. I heard them rush off, right before Kion got a call about the incident. They must have been drawing everyone back," Faraja mused.

"I think I have a picture of how this went. I'll allow you all to get back to this. Either I or someone else trustworthy will be here to take the statements. Believe me, we will do all we can to catch them," Bogo said, nodding to everyone on his way out.

"Tender... I don't mean to be a bother but is there any way you can convey my daughter home with Kiara? I'll be remaining here even if they try to remove me," Zira said, slumping slightly in her chair, the fatigue finally defeating the bilious hate that had been keeping her so animated and on edge.

"I'm not leaving, mother. I'm staying here," Vitani firmly stated.

"And I'm staying with you," Kiara whispered, hugging Vitani from behind and kissing the nape of her neck. "I can't go home anymore... I feel safe with you. I won't let go of you."

"Love will do as it will. I should bring everyone back home, wait for word from my other daughter and speak to these folk. I presume someone else has some way of contacting them?" Faraja asked.

"Kiara, can you give me Zuri's number?" Kion asked. "I can get all the rest of the info from there."

"Sure thing, little brother, be on your phone by the time you all get to the manse," Kiara said with a smile.

"This night will leave so many more scars than the ones these fine cubs will wear forever," Faraja sighed, walking out with his family.


	4. In The Light Of Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new day dawns across disaster and hope, over malice, confusion and the best instincts of some... but the worst of others.

I do not own Zootopia, that belongs to Disney. This a fan work made solely for the sake of amusement.

**A Different Kind Of Pride**

**Chapter Four: In The Light Of Day**

**By: Gabriel LaVedier**

"Look, I don't have the patience for your timidity!" Mzinku Kiburi shouted into his phone. The normally put-together broad-shouldered, brown-maned lion was looking especially disheveled, his mane looking pulled at, his attire was askew and his eyes were quite red. "I'm running on burning anger and about ten cups of coffee! You got the word from Tamu? Then you make sure you add what I said. And I can say that because I rep all of them. Like you're surprised they'd be saying that. Now, the sun's about to come up, and I did not eat up a Frededas that I could have enjoyed with my future son-in-law to see Moondas glow with nothing to show for it! Print the copy I gave you or so help me I'll find some way to make you regret not doing it. Now get printing." With a final chuff and snort he hit the button to kill the call.

"Do you have to shout, daddy?" Zuri asked, slightly stumbling into the main room of the condo. She was dressed in a long, rather dated-looking nightgown with a button-up top portion and lace trim at the neck. "It's so early..."

"Well, daddy's pretty angry at folks who don't know their jobs," Mzinku said. "Your mother went into the office early, you're on your own for breakfast."

"Fine by me. I'm always on the hook for breakfast," Janja said with a yawn, emerging from the hall leading to the bedrooms. He was clad in nothing but a pair of boxers marked with paw prints. His arms slowly wrapped around Zuri and he kissed her on the nose. "Morning, beautiful."

"You're cooking," Zuri insisted, tapping him on the nose and patting his backside. "Two eggs, easy, sunny side up. On wheat toast, side of fish sausage, orange juice. I prefer a light meal for breakfast. Please and thank you!"

Janja stood there stunned for a minute, breaking out into a hugely tooth smile. "Hey, you want it, done and done, babe."

"I take it that's a hyena thing," Mzinku chuckled.

"I ain't all that hyena-right. Big and bulky, not too pretty, but I know how to listen to a lady. It's all I got but she seems happy," Janja said, figuring out where the pans and other necessities were located. "Happier she is, happier I am."

"Not too happy. I trusted you last night. I don't have many qualms, I make sure she has her pills kept up, but this time I knew for a fact where you were," Mzinku said.

"Hey, come on. She's a quality lady," Janja said, heating up multiple pans of oil and arranging different ingredients around. He started beating some eggs while saying, "We hugged all night after all the hashtagging. She was so mad, and it all came out as crying."

"I don't think I say it enough, but you're a good lad, Janja. Be proud to have you in the family," Mzinku said, patting Janja firmly on the back. "Pack it all up, I'll get more coffee down me on the way to the office."

"You got it, pops! Give 'em drought and famine!" Janja called to the departing lion.

A short while later Janja set down a large plate in front of Zuri, who was scrolling through her phone. The toast had been cut into triangles, the eggs carefully laid across the four triangles with the soft yolks faintly jiggling. Two short, seared sausages were placed below, ends touching. It looked like a golden-eyed face. "Think you're cute, don't you?"

"Maybe a little. Not enough. Don't matter much to me. I don't need a pretty face for you," Janja said, setting down her orange juice and scooting quickly to bring back his own meal of scrambled eggs and potatoes with a side of smoked salmon. "How are we trending?"

"It's a big city, but we're tops in the district. Thanks to daddy we got echo-howls from biggies. Pride Manufacturing is taking a hit on all the social sites. They're trying damage control but it's too late," Zuri said with a triumphant tone, cutting into her eggs and toast, mopping up some of the yolk with her toast. "I almost don't want to go in to school, but I'd better. There's a carpool in. How are you getting to school?"

Janja shrugged, shaking a little pepper onto his food. "Not going today. Called my parents, they saw all the stuff. They'll come get me later. The school knows what's up. Bet Chungu and Cheezi won't be there either. Not even sure if Tiifu's going to be there with you."

"She won't be. She's too far to make it possible. I heard from her. She's laying low with Jasiri's aunt, and Chungu and Madoa, and Cheezi. Tight space but they were safe at least," Zuri reported, scrolling through more updates. "Kiara's still at the hospital, she slept in a visiting area with Vitani. Kion's going to try to get to school with Tender Fisi's help."

"Gonna be pretty lonely here without you. Sure you can't stay?" Janja asked with a pop of his brows and a toothy smile.

"Don't you start. We had a crazy night and I think we both need some kind of a normal day. Just relax and think about another normal date night next week," Zuri firmly said.

Janga growled deep in his throat and licked his lips. "Now that's how a lady talks. Sure you can't skip a day? Bet you're ahead like me."

Zuri rolled her eyes and flashed a smile. "You only think you're as cool as you act. Yes, I need to get dressed after I eat. You too. What would your parents say if they saw you in just your underwear?"

"That I need to lose some muscle mass," Janja quipped, leaning back in his chair. "Alright, you got me. We'll MuzzleTime later on. I'll beg some extra allowance off the folks and we can all go out to Sahara Square again. Kion's gang ain't so bad, even that bird guy. He's got a real fancy one."

"I think we've all gotten used to Ono at this point. If it gets Beshte out of the house it's hard to argue," Zuri said, attacking her meal to get though it in a timely manner and sliding off of her chair. "You'll do all the cooking, of course."

"What? You gonna try and take that away from me? Ma raised me up like any good hyena boy, no matter how buff I was. She knew some lady would want me with all the skills. And I wasn't gonna fall behind. The house'll run smooth as silk, I got skills like pop. Just watch me work," Janja proudly said, finishing his own meal and clearing the plates form the table. He set to washing in the kitchen while Zuri took care of her morning routine.

o o o

Fuli was a fanatic about her body, and serious about her position on the track team. She was up well before dawn six days a week running around the neighborhood or at the track at the academy. She had special access to work on her endurance and her dash times. A cold shower, a quick towel off and she was quickly dressed and ready for school. Normally she'd stay in the locker room and read or watch something on her phone. But the ugly stories and hashtags kept her from wanting to see anything else through her screen, driving her out into the academy grounds proper.

They took up a good bit of real estate despite using the Zootopian skill with making things compact and efficient. The whole place was designed to look grand, like the other academies of the city, resembling the august austerity of Zootopia University. Every student was expected to have their eyes turned toward a grander future. Paths and passages through the open-air exterior crisscrossed the blocks of high-rising buildings that held the various classrooms and labs.

Normal-use lockers were arrayed in that outer area, large rows of them facing the iron fence surrounding the academy. Fuli very seldom used her general locker, just cramming everything into her gym locker, but she did have some things in there that she swapped out every so often. It seemed like the right time for it.

As she she was swapping out a few of her books and some papers a commotion at her side drew her attention. A scruffy-looking milk chocolate brown wolf in a Savannah uniform was holding onto a cringing white nanny goat similarly attired in the skirt uniform variation. They were ringed by a group of wolves notorious for being tough types, but always kept just in the school despite clearly being worthy of demerits. At the cap of the ring was a pale leopard with hard eyes and a dark look. A new arrival whose name she couldn't quite recall, who already had a bad reputation.

"J-just leave us alone! I got out of the gang! I don't want to be like you anymore!" The wolf shouted, turning his body a little bit more, using it to shield the crying goat.

"I should thank you, a space opened up for me right as I got here," the leopard said, with a voice all full of oily razor blades. "It's always good to get in with the right crowd. Solitary felines don't get the kinda power you have with a good bit of muscle at your side. But you really did your friends dirty, sneaking out to graze with these Meadowlands imports. Walking sweaters and coat racks aren't going to give you what you need. And you went ahead and... you broke the guy code for this fluffy bleater? Any fluffy bleater?"

"You betrayed our bonds! You sold us out to the teachers!"

"You were the only one who'd tell about us planning to dump the fish guts on those Meadowlanders!"

"My dad roasted my haunches when he had to sign all the stupid stuff about improving going forward or whatever it was!"

"We trusted you, and you spit in our faces! You don't get out of this clean, you or the bearded grass-muncher."

"See, you can't just sneak around. I don't care what you think you're doing. Have a change of heart on your own time and on your own corn. Don't go getting morals in the middle of being part of something. You brought this on yourself," the leopard asserted.

The gang moved quickly. The lone wolf bulled his way around but couldn't repel enough of them to keep them from grabbing the goat, who screamed out a terrified cry. The wolf was similarly hauled back when his solitary fight went to pieces under numbers. "May! May! Don't you hurt her!"

"Not her? Fine then. We'll hurt you," the leopard said with a cruel sneer creasing his face.

"Mapigano! Don't!" From around the corner a smaller, much more lithe pale leopard arrived, panting. He grabbed at the larger leopard, tugging on his uniform. "Dad said if you got in trouble again..."

"You don't get in trouble unless someone snitches you out, am I right?" Mapigano laughed as the wolves harshly shoved May against a locker and tightened their crushing grips on the wolf they were holding back. "You won't tell anyone, Badili. You didn't back home and you won't here. You're just a coward. Go away and leave me alone."

"Please stop hurting folk! Why do we even go to Sanctuary if you can't learn anything?" Badili asked, wrapping his arms around one of Mapigano's, attempting to restrict him from drawing back into a punch.

"I know what I need to know, now back off, you little grub!" Mapigano fiercely threw back his restricted arm and brought his other around to slap Badili across the face, claws-in. The hard strike sent the smaller leopard down, which left Mapigano free to turn his attention back onto the wolf and goat.

Fuli was cool. Fuli was her own cat. She didn't easily turn aside for anything, didn't make a big deal about anything. She had friends, a small circle of them. Cheetahs were loners. But she still had friends...

She didn't need to do anything. It wasn't her business. She had always been told to let the world happen. She didn't have a stake in it. Eyes forward, run her own race. No left lane, no right lane. One lane. To the tape.

She remembered the things she had read that morning. Zuri had a flair for the dramatic but she was as honest as any mammal out there. Kion's father had tried to force apart mammals in love. And Vitani's brothers got hurt for no reason at all, by the lionesses Simba had sent out. Inters and Outsiders weren't all that different. They were mad that that wolf had done the right thing. A dumb reason but a reason. Yet they still felt the need to mention his relationship with the goat begging them not to hurt him. He had offered himself for it, for her. Only one mammal had cared enough to try and help, weak as he was.

Fuli thought fast and moved faster, her decision made and executed without too much hesitation. Her incredible speed slammed her shoulder into the side of Mapigano, absolutely bowling him over and tearing a shocked and pained scream from his throat. The sheer speed of it left the wolves stunned, halting their mistreatment of both the wolf and goat.

"I don't get involved!" She shouted, leaning on Mapigano's pained and stunned body. "But my friends went through a lot last night and I'm not letting this thing go!"

"H-help me you drooling idiots!" Mapigano cried, attempting to get Fuli off of him with little success.

"Not happening! Beshte's a friend of mine and showed all of us how wrestling holds worked!" Fuli cried, avoiding getting pushed off, soon putting his limbs into painful positions.

"Get off!" The wolf cried, taking advantaged of the distraction to shove his shoulder into one of the wolves holding him, shoving another into the lockers. He rushed over to the goat's side, gently nuzzling the little white beard hanging off her chin. "May... did they hurt you?"

May groaned softly, turning it into a happy meeh. "Gabu... It hurts, but just hold me. Don't let me go."

Badili finally rose up, looking down on his restrained brother. "Pain goes back to the bringer and ebbs away from the soother. That's what you learn in Sanctuary. Please, Mapigano..."

"Let go of me! I'll leave the little capra-cornball and his winter coat alone! Just get off!" Mapigano cried, seeking help that was tuck-tail retreating.

Fuli pushed on his limbs hard, drawing out a wince before releasing him and stepping off his body. "I'm just one mammal, and you don't have those wolves anymore. I have friends, here in the academy and way more if we see you on the streets. A few of them actually get involved without getting angry. Keep picking on Outsiders and you'll see what a honey badger can do you your face. And leave Inters alone too. Get up and dust off."

Badili offered a hand to Mapigano, looking concerned. "Brother... you don't have to hurt like this. You don't have to be so angry. Mom didn't leave because of you..."

Mapigano slapped the hand away and rose, groaning, to his own feet. "Shut up! Just shut up! I don't wanna hear about her anymore! I don't need you and dad being all cheerful and happy about things. She's gone and she chose it! That's good enough reason for me. The world's gonna hurt, I'll make sure everyone hurts so they know it."

Fuli lunged in Mapigano's direction, making him flinch and snarl. "Time to go."

As the angry leopard stalked away, Gabu and May came over. "Th-thank you... Fuli, right? On the track team?" Gabu asked. "I... I needed a pack. I didn't know any better."

"Well, you seem smarter now," Fuli said with a chuckle and roll of her eyes. "Never thought I'd say it, but stick with the Meadowlanders. No Vesper, no problem. And if you need help... really need help, you can probably ask us. We're always around the gym."

"Thank you!" May bleated, walking off while clinging tightly to Gabu's arm.

"And thank you for dealing with my brother, he can be a-" Badili started.

Fuli stopped his comments with a finger on his lips. "You're weak. Very weak. You've got decent morals. You're like a combination of my friends Kion and Jasiri. But morals don't make you strong enough to act on it. Kion has gymnastics and wrestling training. Jasiri is a girl hyena, enough said. You need to be strong enough to act like a hero."

"Well gee... I know I'm not that strong, but he's my brother. I had to stop him if I could. It's the right thing to do," Badili said, looking down and shyly digging at the ground with a paw.

"Look, this is going to seem crazy, but you should keep close to me. My friends and I can offer you some training, help you stand up to your brother, get you strong enough to stand up for others. Seems like you're the type to do that. So do it right," Fuli said, taking Badili's hand and pulling him close to her. "Just stick with me."

"I... I... I guess I can..." Badili mumbled, eyes wide and body trembling.

o o o

"You didn't have to stay here, sis. We were just sleeping," Kovu said, sitting up in his hospital bed. A large pad of gauze had been taped onto his face, covering the large scratch. He was eating from a tray of grayish mush, with a little wobbling dome of gelatin in one corner. Over in the other bed Nuka was still asleep, but looking much more relaxed and naturally dozing rather than being heavily sedated.

"Like I'm going to leave my brothers here," Vitani said with a roll of her eyes. She looked over as Kiara entered the room, holding two steaming paper cups. She took the one held out to her and smiled while taking a sip. "Mmm, kinda sad that hospital vending machines have better coffee than we do, but they don't reuse the grounds."

Kiara took a sip and winced slightly, continuing to drink slowly. "Mmm, I'm used to a different taste... but I'm no little princess like those snobby girls that can't handle anything. This tea is... unique."

"It's bad, princess. But you drinking it is so hot," Vitani said with a laugh.

"How is my little sister dating before me?" Kovu asked with a roll of his good eye.

"I saw her first and gave her a kiss that left a big lipstick mark," Vitani laughed. "Goth makeup wins."

"It was just too charming," Kiara said with a darkening of her ears.

"Hey, hope we're not interrupting..." Kion said, poking his head into the door.

"Nuka's still sleeping, but Kovu's up. They say Nukas fine but... I saw the blood. Guess we'll just see," Vitani sighed.

Kion stepped into the room with a small bouquet of flowers, followed by Jasiri who had the same. He was joined by Bunga and Madoa, who both had Mylar balloons offering get well wishes. "Small gathering, sorry. Chungu and Tiifu are still together, Janja is probably back home, Cheezi too. Zuri is home doing more social media stuff. Beshte can't really do casual hospital visits, you know, with Ono and all."

"Fuli was weird," Bunga commented, tying his balloon to the vacant chair between the two beds. "She got into some kind of fight. Really knocked the spots off of some leopard and scared off wolves going after some Outsider couple. But now she's staying late to teach some other leopard self-defense. She'll probably have time to come around some other day. It's not like it's gonna be a regular thing."

"The city's getting noisy. Dad's... kind of angry that folks are calling him a bigot, and he can't send the suits out anymore, no matter how much he wants to," Kion said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm amazed he still has them. I thought the ZPD would have swept them all up by now," Kiara huffed.

"They will. They just need all the paperwork. Dad's angry but he's not stupid," Kion sighed. "But there's some good news. Mr. Kiburi wanted to have some of the folks he's had making comments about this in here to visit, if you were up."

"More visitors?" Nuka suddenly said, with a heavy, low voice. "The pain's dull, and I'm liking sleep. But I'm here. Sis and her queen sitting in was fine. Little bro eating that cafeteria slop was fine. Hope they're not too distracting."

"I saw a few things on Kiara's phone, and I've flipped through your music collection. You have the weirdest taste in music," Vitani laughed.

"Spare me. That onager you listen to sings about zombies and chopping up cheating lovers. Nothing's weird next to that," Nuka laughed.

Vitani went over to gently pat her brother's cheek. "This should be fun when it finally happens. Are they actually here?"

"They're keeping it quiet. Mr. Kiburi just wanted to make sure they could have visitors," Kion replied.

"Oh he can have visitors. This is going to be good. Sit up straight and pay attention," Vitani said, nudging Nuka.

Nuka grumbled and pushed himself up in bed. "You sound like Taka. You're not that talented."

After some motioning from Kion, Mr. Kiburi entered the room, looking much more put together than he had been. "I thought I'd put some reality where my mouth is. And a little bit of outreach is always good. You've been through some kind of pestilence, and somewhat because of my little queen. The least I could do is give you a good bit of cheer." He nodded to some figures just outside the door and motioned into the room.

First through the door was an explosion of color, a young-looking golden zebra, wrapped up in a rainbow, both her jorts and denim top, looking like a worn denim jacket with the sleeves cut off and dyed in psychedelic colors. She was all smiles, blowing kisses to everyone, and giving a wink to a completely stunned Bunga.

"Dhahabu? That's a real surprise," Kovu said, sitting up a little more in bed.

The next arrivals were a tightly grouped trio who moved slowly and were backed by a taller figure. The forward three were young-teen tanuki girls, wearing black lizard-leather outfits with dark pink and red crepe and satin flourishes. The one behind them was a tall, mature-looking black vixen in a sensible dark gray suit carrying a notebook with a wireless earpiece in one ear.

Nuka practically shot up, grabbing his head for a moment as his world swirled from reacting a bit too fast. "N-no way. No way no way! Th-that can't... sis... this is just the world's most evil prank, isn't it? That can't be Chibimetal, it can't be!"

Vitani casually flicked Nuka's ear and gave him a pat on the cheek. "You're the only weirdo in Happytown that listens to Tanukitown metal. I don't know where you even found it. But this is the best coincidence ever. Hope this kind of makes up for getting tasered and cracked on the head."

Nuka was just looking wide-eyed, clutching his sheets to his body. "Bargain bin, same as you and Candide," Nuka muttered. "Just one of the times I had the money to go to Vine County. I heard them in a cafe and found their first album being sold for cheap. Luckiest find ever."

The fox leaned in and spoke in low tones to the squat trio, occasionally looking up at Nuka. The three girls bowed down in his direction, the middle one speaking in a slow, halting manner. "Thank you for liking our music. You like it a lot?"

"I explained to them where you live and how... difficult it may have been to find it, financially speaking," the fox explained in a softly accented voice. "By your reaction can I tell them you are very much a fan?"

"I only don't go to performances because of money. But I always try to find their music playing somewhere," Nuka said, flashing the hand sign the band encouraged, two fingers up as ears and two forward as a snout. "I'm going to wear out the CD eventually."

The fox relayed the sentiment along, waiting for a reply while nodding. "They say thank you, your devotion is very kind. They will happily give you a signed copy of the large album with the bonus content."

Nuka worked his lips a little bit, no sound emerging for a long time. "Thank, thank you! You have no idea how much this means! Uh, uh... a-arigato? Taka should have focused on international communication..."

"My brother the diplomat," Kovu laughed, giving his usual warm smile to Dhahabu, who was by his bed. "This has sure been a whirlwind of a time."

"Seems a shame you got caught up in this. Wasn't even about you, barely even about your sister," the zebra commented.

"We've had a... complicated relationship with the Pride family. Mother worked for the company for years, during the good years, when Taka Pride was heading it. He helped us out, helped mother with loans and permits for the boarding house, got her to be a successful small businessmammal. Simba has been... frosty, because he knows mother always thought Taka should have stayed on. But, now Kiara is dating my sister. Complicated. I haven't met Kion very much but he's a good guy. This shouldn't be happening to anyone," Kovu said with a concluding sigh.

"Always great to see a supportive family," Dhahabu said with a nod. "Having Inter and Outsider kids isn't easy at all."

"Oh, ha... yeah. We're all about that in the family but none of us are. I mean, maybe sis could be a little bit Inter but she's with Kiara. Guess Kion is full-out Inter. He's got nerve," Kovu said.

"It's not as hard as they say it used to be, but it's not easy. Try being a full-out Outsider like me. I'm just lucky Mr. Kiburi felt like repping some golden Outsider with a fabulous voice," Dhahabu said. "Even having that fame you get heat on the social media places, and nasty comments. But, I'm proud and I want everyone to be proud."

"I'm proud!" Bunga squeaked, clapping his claws over his mouth afterward.

Dhahabu turned on Bunga, smiling down at him. "Well, hello there you. I can tell you're a fan."

"Whoa! How did you know?" Bunga asked.

Dhahabu laughed musically and tapped his white uniform shirt. "I could have said it was how you looked when I walked in. I could even say it's all this color, that's one of my tour tees, I can see it through this thing. But I know that squishy face." She gently patted his cheeks. "Zuka-Zama, right? You're hashtagging up a storm for me. I should hire you to do PR and save a few bucks."

Bunga clumsily unbuttoned his uniform shirt, accidentally popping off a few buttons to reveal the sparkly shirt with the golden zebra's face on it. "Oops! Uhh... papa Timon's gonna have to sew those back on... but it's totally worth it!"

"Proud to be a full Outsider, are you?" Dhahabu asked, tapping her striped cheek.

"I don't think he needed Gazelle or that cop to be proud. He'll tell anyone about how much he loves prey," Kion chimed in. "His papa Pumbaa says that his first words were, _prey pretty._ Pretty sure he's making it up but Bunga doesn't seem to say anything about it."

"I probably did. I don't mind telling everybody, it's why my dads spoil me with your merch," Bunga said proudly. "Everybody else says Gazelle is the best Outsider singer, but I like someone my own age. And you're really pretty, all golden and stuff."

Dhahabu tapped Bunga lightly on the nose, grinning at him. "We should talk later."

o o o

The Moondas sun had dawned on a disaster. A quiet night of drinking had been interrupted by defiance. Simba's will would be done. It was always done. Call the Suits, solve the problem. He had gone to bed lightly buzzed, his resentful wife still settling down beside him.

He had awakened to a slight headache, cottonmouth, and a silenced phone that was practically bloated with recrimination against others, prevarication, disconnections, and all other methods of attempted absolving of ills. The active ones blamed each other, explaining they were hiding out with the damaged car trying to field-medicine the injuries. His other agents disavowed the failures, saying they were holding fast at the main building, offhandedly mentioning the failure of the attempts at bribery and breaking up couples.

But worse than the official e-mails and texts from the suits were further e-mails form brand managers, social media wranglers, and other marketing hacks that watched the city social media scene turn into a tide of fire. Simba himself was trending downward at an astronomical rate, and the knock-on effect was turning the company into collateral damage. Stocks were wavering, investors were asking angry questions, and news outlets were just plain asking questions. Or worse, speculating.

His mood had hardly been sterling, getting up with the ache in his head and the desert in his maw. Finding additional problems screaming at him from his phone, when he had been expecting an orderly delivery of his will, soured his mood even further. It sank deeper and deeper as the full magnitude of the disaster crashed upon him, like waves gluttonously devouring a soft sand wall.

"So... are you still so certain about your will and your rightness?" Nala asked, arms crossed over her chest while she stood in the hall from the bedrooms, finally deigning to emerge after avoiding her husband for most of the day.

"This was supposed to be simple!" Simba raged, his hand looking apt to try and crush his phone. "Deliver the demands, get the results. How could they do this?"

"Are you hearing yourself? How could they? The Tamu family aren't very overt about anything but they always seemed open to things. And the Kiburis... He reps Dhahabu! The most open Outsider since Gazelle. And Lady Maw-Maw, the queen of the Inters. And Hyena Gomez. Did you think all your money would make all of that go away?" Nala asked, her tail whipping behind her.

"He's a businessmammal. A sensible one. He'd know a good deal when he sees one, know a better future for his daughter. No bone-jawed slobberer could offer her any kind of real future. He's smarter than to think this will go anywhere," Simba sharply asserted, scrolling through new updates from his various underlings managing the situation. Direct commentaries from Zuri were being matched and echo-howled by the aforementioned stars, their official outlets producing statements specifically repudiating him.

"That's enough! This has to stop!" Nala roared, tears falling from her eyes. "Your father's hate should have died with him in that car! How did it get into you? Look at who raised you! Look at what you're doing to your own son and daughter! Your anger hurt your future in-laws!"

"Well to howling darkness with them!" Simba roared back. "I barely tolerated that cheap trash lioness! I could have weaned Kara off of her eventually. I should have... another partisan for my uncle, saying I wasn't good enough. The company was good enough to give her a salary and help her open that fleapit in the slum. Just barely good enough... but not when this is what comes of it."

"Just end this," Nala said, forcing herself to be even, the breath huffing hard as she fought to control every motion. "Get down on your knees, say you were wrong, promise you'll do better. Atone with donations, fire the ones involved, turn them in to the police. This isn't going to get better."

"I'm an institution! I'm king of the industrialists! The rock of stability for heavy industry. Pride Rock! We always have been and always will be unshakable and unassailable. What's good for Pride is good for Zootopia, and those others know it. I won't be brought to my knees by some slick agent, or news producers or some upstart cub that thinks she can call me a bigot and get away with it. That hyena can have her, there's still other proper lions for my son, other proper lions for my daughter, if this one won't stay in line," Simba growled, running through booming pontification and dangerous rumbling in his tirade.

"**Our** son, **our **daughter," Nala snarled. "I have input on this. I don't have a problem with either of them, Vitani or Jasiri. You should be proud that either one of them would want to be in this family. This disaster taught us one thing, what you really are. I said I tolerated that part of you. It was bad jokes your underlings chuckled at, it was comments where you were barely out of earshot. I know you have this pain from your father's death... they didn't kill him. He chose to drive your mother after all that drinking."

"They forced him out. Our family business, packed with hyenas, ruled by hyenas and capped with that mincing degenerate uncle of mine. Kion seems to still believe in the stories of his greatness but got angry at me for telling him I would give him two wives. He cavorts with a lion and lioness and I'm disgusting?! They're our children but I have the reputation that they're attacking now. I must respond, I must make things right," Simba huffed, his words almost seething through his fangs.

Nala didn't respond, merely went over to the remote for the main room's television and turned it on to ZNN. "I streamed the news from the tablet, after **my** friends sent messages about what had happened, and told me what Mrs. Tamu had put through on the news."

The television showed the ZNN studios, with Fabienne Growley and Peter Moosebridge looking at the cameras, though occasionally aside at each other. "I would like to thank you, Fabienne, for finally asking. I've been waiting all this time. We should talk later about details."

"Of course, but we may have gotten off the track. Our continuing coverage of the disaster in Happytown. We have new information from the ZPD that the two victims have regained consciousness and answered questions about their assaults. It was reported by Kiburi Management Services that the two were visited by the group Chibimetal and the pop starlet Dhahabu, to put to reality the messages they had been sending or agreeing with as reported by their management. At this time, according to Chief Bogo, the police are seeking any information leading to the apprehension of those involved with the injury of the two lions. According to the ZPD, calls for information have not reached Simba Pride himself but many officials at Pride Heavy Manufacturing have stated they are all openly cooperating, with little to show for it."

"They blame you personally. No one had to say it. You're the king. The rock. You put yourself as the capstone. Now you have to take all the responsibility. You could delegate when it was just an ordinary day with ordinary decisions. You broke this, now everyone demands you take responsibility and fix it. Beg for forgiveness and someone might give it. Zira won't, but she doesn't have to. Her children could, just to stand on higher ground than you, but they don't need to. They already do. Maybe, maybe, maybe... our children could. You've humiliated them. Dragged their relationships into the public eye and shown they have a bigot for a father. The only parts of the city that don't hate you are the parts I want nothing to do with. If you do... don't do this to us. If you care at all about your family, you'll just give up your rage, smile for some cameras and say you're sorry," Nala pleaded.

"I care about my family," Simba firmly rumbled. "My family and my family name. I will erase this shame, and make it all right. Believe me, this is getting fixed." He ignored further emails screaming for an official statement or contrite damage control. He quickly brought up an old bookmark he didn't think would ever be necessary. _Tree of Life Image Consulting Services._


	5. Wax Fruit, Plastic Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kion languishes in his misery. A new relationship with a friendly face gives way to a horrible fate and a painful series of events.

I do not own Zootopia, that belongs to Disney. This a fan work made solely for the sake of amusement.

**A Different Kind Of Pride**

**Chapter Five: Wax Fruit, Plastic Smile**

**By: Gabriel LaVedier**

"It's hard to just... get my mind around it. I'm living day to day and just forget that really... I don't have a home anymore," Kion sighed. The red-maned lion was sprawled in bed, one arm settled across his eyes. The covers were pulled up over his chest, just indicating he was in an undershirt or singlet.

"This is your home, you know that..." Jasiri whispered, lightly snuggling against Kion's side on top of the covers. An arm was under his neck and she was nuzzling at an ear. "This is a sanctuary. You're afraid of your father, you need a safe place to be. We'll protect you."

"I know it's what girl hyenas do... but lions like a little independence. I can't just hide here. I need to do something, to stand up for myself. I have you, I have friends. We're all stronger together. I want to go back home. I'm sure Kiara does too. But on our own terms. Dad's not going to tell us what to do," Kion asserted.

"Oh my acacia nectar... just... think a little bit. You want to go back, but would you ever feel comfortable living with him again? Would you feel safe?" Jasiri asked.

"I don't know... I don't know. But your dad says it a lot. It's more worthwhile if you endure. Zira has dark thoughts and never acts, that makes her morally good. If I can live with him and endure it, I'll have proven something," Kion firmly said.

"You shouldn't have to risk your life just to prove a point. You're already better than your father, enjoy that," Jasiri whispered.

"I do. But... I need to think about it," Kion said, sliding form Jasiri's loose hold, showing that he was indeed in a white undershirt and boxer shorts covered in a pattern looking like hyena spots. He moved to a small stack of new-looking clothes that he picked through, choosing a pair of long khaki shorts and tee shirt with an image of a cartoon lion male and hyena woman with the hashtag _Lyena Love_ written below. "Maybe a walk will help. Fuli says jogging gives her time to think, I guess a walk might do the same."

Jasiri leaped up to give him a peck on the cheek. "Get you head clear. Daddy should have dinner ready when you get back."

"I probably won't figure it out that fast, but at least I know I can go out without worrying a lioness in a suit will grab me," Kion said with a chuckle.

A short time later Kion was walking aimlessly in the vicinity of the Sanctuary, the urban landscape well-tended, clean and planted with many trees and shrubs along the streets. With such affluence as the population boasted and the prominence of their sanctuary the folk there loved to keep things looking pretty. It made it better for the tourists that came to see the sights.

His paws took him vaguely in the direction of the condo blocks where he had his home. Former home. Family home? His mother was there. She still loved him, and had sent him his phone, along with a long note saying how much she missed him. He missed her too, incredibly so. Kiara did as well but she was enjoying her time with Vitani. It took some of the sting out of it.

"I love Jasiri," Kion muttered. He didn't really need to reassure himself, but it seemed wrong to think that he was somehow less dedicated than his older sister. He was a family lion at heart, something Tender Fisi seemed to like. He missed his mother and... missed the idea of being a full family with his father. He wanted everything to go away, to stop being hurtful. But every day his father refused to apologize was another day of social media turning him into a meme. It was hurting the company, hurting his mother, even starting to hurt his friend Bunga, whose adopted parents had also been involved in raising his father. It wasn't entirely undeserved, but was starting to spill over into places it shouldn't. He was more than ready for it all to be over.

As he was distracted from his walk his shoulder impacted someone who had been walking toward him, knocking both of them slightly to the side. Kion's surprise passed quickly, letting him get a good look at who he had hit. It was a dark lioness, though more of a stained chestnut darkness than the warm peach of Vitani, or rich cocoa of Nuka and Kovu. She had a few facial and ear markings like Tiifu and Zuri, but the most striking thing was a bright mauve streak dyed across her head. Her attire was fairly standard-trendy, someone too timid to really choose who copied the magazines to a tee. "Oh! My apologies," she said, slightly fluttering her eyes and rubbing the back of her neck.

"No, it was my fault, I've been a little distracted lately," Kion said, running a hand though his make and giving a small smile.

The lioness looked him over and hid a smile behind her hand. "Well, you look to be caught up in the controversy."

"Caught up in the center of it," Kion mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. He stuck out his hand and offered a lopsided smile. "Kion Pride. I... don't even know what to think of this."

She took his hand and shook it gingerly, lingering on it. "Rani Bandia. It all seems like a lot. Must wear you out."

"It's a lot," Kion sighed. "I'm just lucky I have good support from my friends, my sister, my girlfriend..."

"Yes, you're showing that off well," Rani laughed, pointing to the shirt he had on.

"I guess you're pretty disconnected from social media and the news. Must be nice," Kion chuckled. "My sister's friend Zuri had these made. These and the ones for her and her friend, Hyon Love. I figured it wouldn't hurt to go out with it. It's safe around here."

"It can't be that dangerous," Rani noted.

"Not when the ZPD knows to keep things safe. I guess I'm lucky like that. But I just want it to be over," Kion huffed.

"I guess it's not quite as simple as asking to be out of the spotlight or going home?" Rani asked.

"I could go home. But I just have that doubt... I could be the bigger mammal but I don't know what would happen. I... I kind of like where I am, what's happening. I still have my friends, I still have my sister... well, I did come out to think about it, and I'm thinking about it," Kion said with a slow shrug.

"If it's really bad you should consider giving it up. Hurting so much and being confused... I don't know, I'd never be able to take it. Maybe it's just me," Rani said with her own shrug.

"It's not just you. I don't like all the uncertainty... the fear. I mean, I know I can't be grabbed off the street without the ZPD turning dad's life upside down. But I don't want to have to face him and what he could do," Kion admitted.

"He's your _dad_," Rani said, with great emphasis. "Are you really afraid of your dad? I'm not exactly experienced with this but family is family."

"My great-uncle Taka, fine. My sister, fine. My mother, fine. My grandpas who are raising my friend Bunga, fine. Family isn't the problem. It's just him. It's not about family, it's what he did to me, to my sister's future in-laws, to my friends. He hurt mammals all over, and just never cared enough to apologize," Kion asserted.

"You can't think it was on purpose. I don't know all the facts, but I can't believe that anyone would do that much harm intentionally. It doesn't make sense. Maybe you know something I don't, but there must have been some misunderstanding," Rani declared.

"It's true. He just wanted me and my sister back home. Three of them made mistakes and set off the situation. But I mean... he tried to force two of my friends to break up with their girlfriends! And then have them date me! What kind of father does that?" Kion loudly asked.

"Sounds like one that cares too much, and really has no idea what he's doing. That's not bad... not really. Just... kind of dumb. That's the kind of dad you expect in a sitcom," Rani said, with a slight chuckle.

The anger slightly abated in Kion as he laughed through the idea. "He's not great. He has... problems that make the hashtags necessary. But it was just him not knowing what else to do. He got used to quick solutions." He looked aside at her and grinned a bit. "Asante, Rani. I came out here to think and now I'm less... upset about things. I still don't know what to do, but I'm probably closer."

"Well, it was nice being helpful. I'm kind of glad I... ran into you," Rani said with a laugh that Kion joined in on.

After the talk with Rani Kion had a little more of a walk and then he was back at the manse, without nay indication he was being followed by the suits or some other agent of his father. Not only had the non-gymnastic exercise and fresh air done him good, the outside perspective had given him some ideas to chew over.

"Well, you don't look any happier, but more thoughtful. That's good," Jasiri chirped, hugging Kion around the neck and shoulders from behind and nuzzling the top of his head.

"Oh! Yeah. Getting in some leg-stretching and fresh air was great," Kion said, bringing his arms up to kind of hug her arms as she embraced him. "I know your father speaks on the beauty of continued doubt. I don't have any solutions, but at least I can think about it. I had a great thing happen out there."

"Oh? What else went on?" Jasiri asked.

"Well..." Kion began.

"The fish is plattered and the vegetables are steaming! Come quickly to dine," Faraja called out from the dining area.

"Later on, then," Jasiri stated, walking along still embracing Kion.

"I always do things when I say, then I don't have things pile up. I literally ran into this really dark lioness who I think was new in the city or else used to be out where they didn't have the same news focus or maybe just didn't do social media," Kion said, as he and Jasiri took their seats at the dining room table. He was sat beside Jasiri on the left and Mwezi Fisi on the right. She was beside her husband, who was beside Madoa. Cheezi had apparently arrived while he was out, he was there beside Madoa, smiling his usual goofy, bug-eyed smile that Madoa loved so much.

Everyone linked hands by reflex as Faraja reached out to clasp his wife's hand. All of them bowed their head as he spoke. "When first we struggled in our blindness, groping for the meaning of the mind we were waking to, life was chaos and destruction; when we hurt each other in our misunderstanding; when first we had the notion of the pointed rod to till the ground or wound our neighbor, we had the watering hole. The peaceground. All could come, all could drink, all would be safe. In the peace the of crystal clear water, in the cool and clean water, our lips touched sweet rest and our lips spoke of peace. With no more strife could we grow the food that served to unite us. By this bounty before us we remember our dedication to peace and plenty. Let us all feel blessed and enriched. May we be forever blessed."

"Blessed be us all," everyone else replied.

A moderately silent organized scramble followed, plates and serving dishes being scraped as everyone went for the meal. Being a family that could afford regular good-quality meat there was a good showing of it. Two different species of baked fish, baked scallops and a pan with breaded baked chicken thighs. Along with them all were bowls of steamed carrots, peas, mangetout, and turnips.

"An outside perspective. I trust you weren't just handed the answer to your troubles," Faraja said, making a somewhat modestly sized plate for himself.

"The beauty of doubt remains, sir," Kion responded, finding himself with a nicely balanced plate put in front of him, with an extra bit of salmon placed on it, Jasiri giving him a teasing look.

"You can call me father, youngster. Cheezi already calls me dad," Faraja chuckled.

"F-father... it's nice to have a good one," Kion mumbled. "Aren't I supposed to serve you?"

"It's indulgence. I'm so strong I can make a plate for my mate," Mwezi said with a smile. "Why not just flex, little one? I'm sure Kion doesn't want you serving him. I work with lionesses. They tell me their men like a lot of independence. It's very cute, like they're not preening and pretty."

Kion took a few bites of fish, ears burning a little. This was a real family meal. Warm and cozy. "I have a better perspective. That dark lioness was accidentally helpful."

"Happy accidents are more happy than accident, all told," Faraja said.

"Well, well... helpful was she? Was she pretty, too?" Jasiri asked, staring intently at Kion.

"Uh... I'm a full Inter. I don't actually know if she was pretty. Kovu or Nuka could tell you, but I don't have a clue," Kion said with a shrug.

Jasiri tapped Kion on the nose, stabbing a carrot slice on his plate and swiftly eating it. "Glad I met you before Fuli got too close. Bet you think she's cute."

Before Kion could stammer out a comment Cheezi suddenly said, "Don't do it! It's a trap!"

Madoa leaned over and kissed between Cheezi's ears. "Smart boy. Very smart."

The whole family dissolved into laughter before continuing the meal in a normal fashion.

o o o

Kion had gotten into the habit of walking in the late afternoon into the early evening. Sometimes it was to get his mind working, sometimes just to do the walking. He was slightly less confused and less frightened, but he still had a lot to think about, considering he wasn't living at home yet. Well, he was. What Jasiri had said was true. The manse was his home and the Fisis his family, just not legally yet.

Not every time, but more often than not, he saw Rani somewhere on the walking path. At a cafe, across the street, getting off of or waiting on a bus. Some days there were nods and waves, and other days had short or long talks about the developing situation, stagnated as it had become. There was always some angle to consider. With her outside perspective, Rani had insight that was valuable.

He had been walking and talking with her one day, casually discussing the little things that had been going on during the day.

"So, Janja had to give Fuli ten bucks, Bunga was still seeing Dhahabu. It wasn't just a joke. I had a feeling, he always had great luck," Kion said with a laugh. The two of them were walking in one of the less traveled areas of the small park near to the sanctuary, there they had lovely, calm bowers for relaxation. "Fuli said she was going to buy Badili a big ice cream as a reward for how good he's been doing in his self-defense training. And so he'll finally get the idea they're not just doing self-defense."

"I thought he would have figured it out before," Rani laughed, shaking her head slowly.

"You know... I wouldn't have to tell you these stories if you just came to hang out with my friends. It's a big group, we've got all kind of categories. We met randomly but you've been a lot of help with helping me think about things. I've been considering talking with mom and seeing about getting dad to end all this," Kion said.

"You know, I've thought about it. I just can't see myself in your group. I'm just a random mammal, it sounds like it's pretty full," Rani said with a shrug.

"I thought that too, that I had enough friends. But I actually hung out with my sister and her friends came along. Then Jasiri, her sister, the ones from Hyenahurst. Friendship grows like a healthy plant. More friends are only bad if they're parasites, if they consume the lush growth, like da- tender Fisi says," Kion said.

"I guess... I'll think about it..." Rani said, suddenly turning into one of the sheltering bowers to sit on one of the trees that had been grown into a bent shape to serve as a seat.

Kion walked a little past the bower, realizing Rani had stopped and backtracking to go inside the drapes of leaves. He awkwardly sat down on the trunk of one of the trees, looking around a little. "They'll be nice, I know it. Jasiri thinks it's great I've been thinking about getting back to a more normal relationship with my dad."

"She's been a big part of this, hasn't she? I love how you talk about her, her family," Rani sighed, pulling out her phone and bringing up her Snoutbook account. "Your couple selfies are in that little niche between love-dove and staged. It's adorable, if I'm honest," she said with a giggle, showing off a few kissy shots recently posted.

Kion rubbed the back of his head, ears darkening a bit. "Well, she's a girl hyena. She takes charge. And it's nice. I love being with her. I love having her there. I just love her. Her family is there for me, they-"

Any further comment was cut off by Rani's lips. She had slowly and carefully made her way from her trunk bench to Kion's, waiting for the moment of greatest distraction before she suddenly lunched forward, phone up and close to their mouths as she pressed a kiss hard onto his lips. It was indelicate, hot, unrelenting. Her tongue lashed out, her head moved to find better positions and break through his defenses. His jaw was locked and jutting, teeth sealed together, lips pushed against one another and trembling in their tense draw. He twisted his head, fought against it. All the while the snap of a camera was audible, rapidly clicking away.

Finally he pushed past his natural pacifism and put his training-honed body to work, pushing her off of him and onto the ground of the bower. He wiped at his muzzle, coughing shaking his head. "What was that? Why did you do that? What made you think I wanted that?"

Rani hit her phone and checked on what she had been doing. The video camera. "You think that matters? You think your intentions or feelings really matter? Wake up, Kion. It's been a nightmare listening to you and your childish prattle about _charming_ friend stories and funny anecdotes. That Tender was even worse than I thought, he filled your head up with stupidity about peace and harmony. Life is what we say it is, one carefully curated photo at a time, and no one escapes. You should have gone home. You should have given up peacefully."

Kion finally looked up and saw another lion at the entrance to the bower, dressed blandly enough in a trendy sweater and skinny jeans, a nobody, another average citizen. But one that just barely seemed as ubiquitous as Rani with some extra thought. He flashed a thumbs up and dashed off when Rani nodded. "This... this was just a trick?"

"Image is everything," Rani said, getting up and shaking her phone. "Pick the angles, cut the shots, show the photos and you're done. Your little movement is done. All the images go back to where they should be."

Kion started to rise but Rani dashed off before he could get fully to his feet. He was left trembling, in anger, in shame, in frustration. Was he really too trusting? His father had condemned all religious leaders for teaching about more noble ideals than a harsh, cynical view of the world. He had let her get close enough to spring a trap. A trap...

How far would he go for his image? Who would he ruin? Apparently, him. His own son. It was crystal clear, but he did it anyway, shamelessly. As though it would never have a negative. No harm would come to his reputation. As Rani had said, the images would go back to where they should be. He would look right again, which Kion increasingly and tragically realized was all that really mattered.

He stumbled into the manse not much later, looking haunted and hollow. Tears hung at the edges of his eyes but he was too gutted to roar or cry. He fell heavily onto the couch like a lump of lead, staring a thousand yards, a million yards, into the void.

"Kion? What's the matter?" Jasiri asked, immediately seeing the conflicted pain in his empty gaze. "What happened?"

"She tricked me..." he whispered, a breathy vocalization, barely hissing past his vocal cords enough to form enough sound to make the words.

"What? Who? What are you talking about?"

"Rani. She was just a different kind of Suit," Kion said, voice still tiny and trembling. "He hired her. And she finally showed her claws. She's going to try and ruin everything, for him."

Jasiri snarled, letting out a dark hyena laugh, a reflexive noise, a sound that anyone in the know could tell came not from humor, but bloody rage. "Tell me what she did. Tell me and I'll go ask daddy for forgiveness after I do what mom always wanted to. Girls protect our mates, and I need to do a lot of _protecting_ in her face and belly area."

"I was just telling her a story about Fuli and Janja. She sat down in a bower, one of the ones out by Peony Lane. I was telling her how I loved your family. And you. She jumped up and forced a kiss on me. She grabbed me, kissed me, took video, had a creepy lion taking photos. And she told me it was all about image. That I'm stupid for thinking like dad... your dad. Life is image, any image they say. She's going to edit it, put the pictures together and ruin everything. Because I wouldn't go home."

"I should have come with you after the first time you told me about her," Jasiri growled. "I should have thrown her to the ground and said to keep away."

"You couldn't," Kion said, quickly and deliberately.

"I could _now_. Not then," she sighed, slumping a little. "Does she really think everyone will believe garbage like that just because they edit it the right way?"

"I'm not enjoying it. My lips are closed, my teeth are together, I'm struggling. But they could just fake it. That's not impossible. Edit it right, put the photos next to it of the back of her head. I'm worried what they plan to say. Will they lie about your family? Lie about my friends? Why me? What would that change?"

"Your father wants it to be about him. And you're the biggest thorn in his paw. If he hurts you, he'll train you. It's like training a lizard or a bird. Like a terrible mammal training a lizard or a bird. But it can't be... wait..." Jasiri turned to Kion, eyes wide. "Did you... did you tell her that you told me about her?"

"I don't know. We never really talked specifically about it. I just told her I wanted to introduce her to all of you. I guess I just never felt like I had to say it. Why?"

"I think... if she's as shallow as I think she is, she thinks you never told me you met her, or talked to her a lot. I'll bet they have pictures of you talking to her after the first time. And she thinks that when this comes out I'll automatically throw you out like this was a really bad drama. Like I don't trust you if you say it was forced, as if I don't actually know you."

"What? That's impossible. No one could actually believe that could happen," Kion said, coming back to some of his own self, losing the haunted look.

"Some mammals haven't got a clue in their heads," Jasiri muttered, eagerly typing away at her phone. "Everyone needs to know about this. Need me to get anyone? I'm starting with Zuri. I'll hit everyone but Zuri will probably get to them all."

"I'll get to Bunga and Beshte and Fuli," Kion said languidly pulling out his phone and typing up a message. "They'll prefer hearing it from me. This is incredible."

"No, Kion. After so long of having it hanging over your head, your father doing something cruel like this seems very credible," Jasiri muttered.

Informed of the coming catastrophe all of Kion's friends awaited the scandal. They were glued to various kinds of screens, teens and parents both, to see what the horrible backlash would be. It was Zuri who found it first simultaneously on Snoutbook and Howler, dropped as _Leaked Exclusive Images of Kion Pride in his secret relationship._

"This is bad..." Zuri said, settled next to Janja at her place. She was there with him, his parents, her parents, Chungu and his parents, Tiifu and her parents. "They're buying this nonsense. I can get that the idiots that were always against us would buy it, but no one should be this stupid if they're not being intentional."

"Eh, mammals can be fur-brains. You figure that out quick," Janja said, tapping out snide replies to comments on the uploads.

"I can't believe this could happen," Mrs. Nguvu, Janja's mother, said with a hint of iciness. She was attired in a fitted blue suit with lighter blue accents and a sky blue tie. "Kion's a fine young pantheran. What kind of slimy single-celled organism would do something like this?"

"I manage mammals who aren't exactly 'proper' and occasionally directly manage their social media. The garbage and filth that gets thrown at them tells me mammals like this are hardly unique. Just seldom so uniquely filthy," Mzinku Kiburi said, shaking his head. "This is a needless bit of drama. It's putting undue stress on my little queen. She needs to focus on graduating, getting a degree and entering a professional career. With a detour early to get married."

"You might have a delay. Janja might just be good enough to play professionally for a few years," Mrs. Nguvu said. "We always knew that might be an issue. At least his anomalous bulk and active proclivities aren't keeping him from an excellent relationship with a proper lady."

"They can get married if he plays ball professionally, that's not an issue. I don't mind it, I doubt Zuri will either," Mzinku said with a smile. "He's a good lad. The way he tackled breakfast was remarkable for a teen his age."

"We made sure no matter how strong and bulky, we raised a good boy, a proper husband with all the capabilities," Mr. Nguvu noted. The male hyena was dressed in a slinky black sheath dress with a dark pink ruffle around the top, his shoulders exposed by the wide neck and partially detached sleeves. "I did everything a father should. Taught him how to manage a household, balance a checkbook, cook, clean, do laundry and everything else. It made me so proud when he asked me to teach him how to sew. Even if his fingers are a little thick I still got him to sew a pattern. He tries so hard and he wants so badly to be a househusband. He... oh, sorry..." He dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief and looked on at Janja and Zuri sitting close together and fighting an online fight together.

"At least we can be sure we're going to have some good in-laws," Mzinku chuckled, patting Mr. Nguvu on the shoulder.

Chungu and Tiifu were on another couch, similarly responding to negative comments. Tiifu used quieter language, Chungu hit back with more earnest appeals. Chungu was on Howler while Tiifu had changed over to check what was happening on her personal Snoutbook page, to get an idea what had happened as a result of her soft defenses. Her perceived weakness had been picked up on by the more malevolent denizens of the Zootopian internet. Her page had become an open sewage pipe, raw hatred gushing everywhere, every form of thoughtless rancor and threatening. Her massive pile of photos of her and Chungu were kindling for their fire. Her history of hashtags in support of Kion and the rest was the seasoned timber creating the conflagration.

But the oleander leaves turning flame into poison was when all that came together, and mammals with empty heads and frozen hearts produced a hateful theorem. If Kion was in a fake relationship, Tiifu was too. A conspiracy theory born in an instant from provocateurs and trolls. Vituperation rained upon her in unceasing waves. Because she was comfortable with him in her photos, intimate and tender, the falseness of the relationship meant she was playing at closeness for money. The young queen was cut by a million razors, called every contemporary and classic synonym for prostitute, and described in vulgar terms from every possible stance.

At the best of times Tiifu was only a somewhat strong lioness. She knew her limitations and tried to have her friends and family there for support. But in the glowing eye of the touchscreen cyclops she was alone. Even settled against Chungu she was alone as automatic updates flashed horror after horror across her gaze. She finally stopped her feeble attempts at counteracting the accusations and let the phone slip from her grasp, her head buried instantly in Chungu's chest, her slim body wracked with choked sobs.

Her parents both went over to offer comfort, a reflex for their daughter. Her mother was the one that picked up the phone, who watched the tide of bile vomit out from the putrid depths of a septic subset of the population. The words that lashed across her eyes shocked her, for one second. Then they did exactly as advertised. They put a fire in her. Their flames kindled her. A burning rage, a murderous rage. A savagery with no need of a dose of Nighthowlers.

She didn't roar. She didn't scream. She didn't snarl or rake the walls. She pulled out her own phone and found a number in her work contacts. "Don't bother with formalities. You want a byline? You can have it, just do the job you've been clamoring to do. Someone scandalized my daughter's friend, and in turn has now made her a target for vile filth. She's no opportunistic teen. She has a studio, handlers, employers. Rani Bandia is the name she alleged. Find her. Every detail. Who employs her, who pays them, who did this. You want section one? Get the details, you have it. Make it good enough, page one, under the fold. Over if it's slow enough. Put that degree and those supplemental courses to work. Go."


	6. Tumbling Down,Tumbling Down, Tumbling...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A scandal will make things fall down. But a scandal does not stand alone. Actors make it, thinkers break it. And everyone falls somewhere, down to nothing ot into some new place they'd rather have.

I do not own Zootopia, that belongs to Disney. This a fan work made solely for the sake of amusement.

**A Different Kind Of Pride**

**Chapter Six: Tumbling Down, Tumbling Down, Tumbling...**

**By: Gabriel LaVedier**

There was a change in the fate of all those connected to Kion, in some manner. Everyone was accused of being in relationships for money, even though at best all that could have been said was Kion was unfaithful, had the video and photos been true. His friends were mocked on social media, and the Savannah ones once in the streets. Once. The confrontational troll forgot the keyboard was the only reason he could be the worst mammal and live. He made the mistake of being vulgar in front of Beshte. One belly-padded ram from the huge hippo was enough to send him off, probably injured but too suddenly aware of his stupidity to do anything but retreat.

Vitani's family had been nicked by the negative reputation. All the goodwill had cooled and grown confused. They had been injured by Simba's mistakes, but with Kion growing more toxic, his father looked less bad. Not good. Not good in any sense. Merely less bad. That mattered nothing, of course, to the ZPD who were perpetually one minute away from charging him with destruction of evidence and obstruction of justice for refusing to directly hand over the lionesses that had caused harm, and were ready to testify in a civil suit once the Pride Heavy Industries lawyers stopped their cowardly attempts at delaying tactics and terribly small settlements.

"I don't believe that any of this is true," Dhahabu said, being ambush-interviewed outside of a restaurant. "I've talked to Kion. He said he was set up, and that the whole thing was faked. Why hasn't that lioness come forward after suddenly leaking the video? You can see she's the one holding the phone. Jasiri is still with him, and she's too smart to hold on to a liar. You're kind of sad for buying this."

"That's not the point. She has her reasons. Come on, give me something else," the elk with the camera said. "Are you still hanging onto this sinking ship because of your for-the-cameras paid relationship with Bunga Berkowitz?"

Dhahabu scoffed, tossing her head and turning from the camera. "I won't even dignify that. You're not worth the trouble. I'm sad you think love is paid. It's not my fault you have to pay for love. Leave me alone."

"That's cold, coming from you. You're really going downhill now that you're sticking to that movement. What's so great about Inter pride?"

"Because it's part of someone's life!" Dhahabu said with a cheerful zebra warble. "I'm Outsider and proud of it, full to the limit, dating a wonderful predator. Just because someone isn't going that far from their own category is no reason to throw them out. They love how they love, and they should be proud of it. My friends, and they are my friends, are still fang-to-fang and stronger than ever, despite what you might be doing to them. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Can we still use this? She didn't go all diva like we wanted," the elk asked into his headset.

"_We'll cut together the juicy bits and have a lot of jokes about her stupid boyfriend between them. No one will notice there's no substance. It's entertainment. Don't think about it too hard."_

"Do I follow her? Brownies to bucks she's going to see the Berkowitz kid."

"_Leave it. They post up enough of their own images. All the usual sap. Pack it up. I hear Gazelle is in the Rainforest District. Maybe we'll get lucky and she's not with that husband of hers. We can make hay over that. Get moving."_

Elsewhere in Savannah Central the business district was always active. In a city that never slept all four shifts were bustling about to keep producing value of some sort. In one of the business-packed high-rises were the offices of a moderately large professional management company. Tree of Life, image consultants. Masters of controlling spin, of improving the optics of the questionably stable. From boosting the cred of influencers and neophyte bloggers to making the rich look less terrible when they acted terribly. The lobby was lushly appointed, seemingly awash in red. Scarlet carpet, red-veined marble columns, richly stained red walls, red wood counters that had the receptionists behind them, red velvet wrapped the couches and chairs, awaiting those who would make use of the service.

Into the lobby of the firm stepped a woman who radiated old money. Her curvy, silver-furred body was groomed to such perfection she almost glowed. Her attire was a serious, staid dress that was the picture of Grande Dame obedience to style. The lines were precise, the mocha brown color working just right for her. Her small muzzle was stuck up in the air, her haughty features just barely deigning to look at the brightly smiling gnu cow behind the front counter. "I require your services. I take it I am to speak with you before someone of substance and status comes to attend to me as is proper?"

The gnu never stopped smiling. She had been ruthlessly trained by the company to keep her emotions under control given the volatility and often overt sleaze of their clientele. "Yes, ma'am. But I assure you, your needs will be instantly communicated to one of our executive consultants, the best experts in Zootopia."

"Mmm, that will suffice," the chinchilla said with a sniff and a nod. "I am led to understand this quaint company provides the proper image for those who will need to to see and be seen in the finest circles. That if they have need of being seen in the right light you will undertake that endeavor?"

"Absolutely! If you want someone seen in a particular way, to make them look just right so that your peers will see them exactly as you want, that's what we do," the gnu said. "Just what kind of image... issues are you having and how can we offer a solution?"

"As you might imagine, I occupy a very privileged position in my community. Our money is old and we have no qualms about saying so. We are, of course, well provided with equally fortunate compatriots. But there are still social issues that can arise from such affluence. My granddaughter is now becoming entrenched in the gladiatorial contest of social bloodsport in our sphere within the milieu of high school. To see and be seen is all that matters, with the right mammals. Or those who seem to be right. Older girls are, of course, apt to produce the best cachet for a girl like that. Glamorous girls who look like they are popular and wealthy who can play up being friends, who are good at seeming like they enjoy being at a party. No eye-rolls, no snide remarks. I want quality for my granddaughter," the older chinchilla insisted, her fluffy tail twitching in a kind of preemptive annoyance.

The gnu's eyes quickly flashed up and down, taking in the chinchilla's whole context. Behind those wide, soft cow eyes whirred a ruthless computer. Honed and focused by the company that trained it to minutely dissect every fold, every hair, every twitch to judge how much was being put on and what, if anything, was real. The calculations were tabulated rapidly behind the unassuming gaze. Not a flaw. Not a crack. She had the bucks and showed it. She was money so old it was in a sarcophagus. She passed. "Older girls are very, very suggested for appearance at these kinds of parties. Do you desire elegant or trendy?"

"Much as I would like the girl to be elegant, I know well that won't preserve her in her social sphere with all this... technology about. Trendy, then. I should note it is to be a birthday party. If that enters into the calculations, better I mention it now. I want older teens. Anyone who isn't a first year," the chinchilla said.

"As is to be expected for a trendy girl on her way up the ladder. Money only goes so far. But don't worry, money buys popularity," the gnu cow asserted, typing away at the computer in front of her. "I presume you'll want a personal consultation with one of our image improvement facilitators, correct?"

"I would prefer to meet with someone of substance in an executive position but I can reasonably assume such a facilitator is near enough. However, there are more companies in this niche than your own. I would like to assure myself of the quality of the young mammals you have on offer. If at all possible I need to see a list of the teen ladies that would populate this party, photos included," the chinchilla insisted.

"Of course, of course. Make broad selections that you think might fit well with the look and feel of your particular area, and the consultant will give all their professional aid to narrow the selection to ideal faces to put on social media, to have the right kinds of friends," the gnu said. A few taps on her computer got her printer humming, shooting out several pages of headshots and small blurbs, as if for actors vying for roles. "Please sit and look those over. If you think the selection suffices I can take your information and get an appointment arranged with all haste."

The chinchilla took a delicate seat at the indicated place and slowly began to flip through the pages, scanning every face and name she found with even a hint of a leonine countenance. Dark coats were hardly uncommon, a status symbol breaking from the monotony of gold and peach. Several queens presented themselves. Only one was stupid enough to have actually used her real name. Rani, plain as could be but clearly the same one described to the chinchilla by an interested party. With more marks and dark accents to change her plain face it was her, the little lying maggot that had started a scandal.

The chinchilla rose a bit later and came back to the counter. "I think we can do business. Can I be assured of anonymity? My granddaughter is not eager to have her old gran meddling in her life, even if her life needs meddling."

"Well, we like to say our bread and butter is meddling where it's needed. The right position needs encouragement," the gnu said, laughing softly. "I assure you, the only one who will know about this is you. We have ironclad confidentiality, and the only trace will be a bill from our company, a mere line item and nothing more."

"Excellent! Now, I should check on some other things I will be arranging. I shall return posthaste at the Matin turnover, sharp, to finalize the details here. I needed only assure myself of the quality of this company. You have my word on this, of course," the chinchilla said.

"Of course, ma'am. You found them acceptable I take it?" The cow asked in a cheerful voice, hoof out to take back the printouts, in a subtle motion that still implied command.

"They seemed the type I would require. A good selection. I hear that variety is something prized now. Never was in my day but I must play this by the common knowledge of the day," the chinchilla said, handing the papers back smoothly and easily.

"It's complicated. Don't worry..." The loud and harsh roar of an industrial shredder rang out as the papers disappeared under the desk. "We'll make the right choices for you."

It was the matter of a moment after the chinchilla left the building that she had pulled out an old fashioned flip-phone and started dialing a number from a piece of paper. "The job is done. I found her. Tree of Life services. Check the bank statements, personal ones. Not the corporate account, he'd be a fool. They can audit those, and they will if he persists in this madness of abetting his employees. If you see it get me the information in some roundabout and reliable manner. The company will stonewall, but something is needed. You have my condolences if this should prove too fruitful. But such is the world at times. Good night."

Simba Pride was never given to sleeping deeply. He was too sharp for that. He was too clever to ever really give up any advantage. He wasn't quite as paranoid as his father had occasionally been, but he had a healthy sense of self-preservation. He had heard something through the wall of sleep, and something about that eventually rankled him enough to have his eyes snap open and send him out into the condo proper.

The main living room was mostly dark, his wife just visible in the low light, her peach fur illuminated by the light of a tablet. She had an expression on her face that looked like a deeper version of one that had become so common of late. A confused gray area between sorrow and anger. Her teeth couldn't grind and her tears couldn't fall. She was stuck somewhere in between as she languidly scrolled through something and looked intently at it. "If you knew enough to not use the corporate account... how could you be enough of a fool to do it at all?"

"What... what are you talking about?" Simba asked, flicking the light on and slowly approaching.

"There were things about you that had rough edges. I like to think I sanded down most of them. But you did have your charms too. You allowed joint banking. That was wonderful of you. That kind of trust is one of your great advantages. I'm... oh Simba... our own son..." Nala sighed.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," Simba insisted.

"It's in the statement. They promised you protection but they still had to bill you. Is this right? You spent all these bucks to hurt our son?" Nala asked, pointing to a line on the statement. _Tree of Life Consulting Services_.

"I have an image problem, I'm getting advice..." Simba began.

"Don't start," Nala hissed. "I have a very reliable source. They found that girl. Did you go down there and talk to her, find the perfect queen that would be inoffensive, trick your son into trusting her? Did you for one second think about him? How devastated he would be? You've put him through howling chaos, and for what? Huge swaths of the city still hate you, and always will."

"And those on the fence might not," Simba chuffed. "I need to be hated less. The company is suffering! Our money, the money that pays for this condo, that keeps you in nice clothes and keeps our son and daughter at that academy is being affected by this irrelevant matter! Two Happytown lions got a little hurt by accident, my son is with a dirty spot-back, and I said so. The company doesn't have any connection! Our cars don't lose power because of some scars. Our heavy machinery and heavy machine parts don't crumble because of how terrible I find hyenas, and rightfully so!"

"You said it yourself. Pride Rock. You want all the advantages of being the company in the flesh. You can't shy away from being the center of attention once it stops being _The Simba Show_ and the ones who looked closely enough don't like what they saw. You want to hold your opinions? Fine! But other mammals have ideas about that. They're not all going to be afraid of you, your money won't make you liked by everyone. Other mammals aren't that shallow. The Kiburis, the Tamus, the Nguvus, the Kupendekas, the Fisis. They have money, they don't fear you. The Kaamus all stand up to you. Zira actually raised her children right, on less money than we spend on those clothes you brag about. You really think _**I**_ care about that? I want my children back!" Nala roared. "They want to come back but not while you're here!"

"Well I'll always be here," Simba huffed. "This is my home, **my home**! You sniff at the fancy clothes and all that but you came from just as much money as me. I know it matters something to you. It's not wrong to want a good life for my children. I could have charm schooled the Happytown out of that dark-eyed queen, I still can. Kion will mind me, he always minded me. He just listened to that two-sheaf wind-factory in his rainbow robe and ridiculous spectacles, got confused about life. He knows nothing, neither of them know anything. Kion's a parrot; the hyena's worthless."

Nala shook her head slowly, working on the tablet almost on automatic. "He's told me. He's calling that _two-sheaf wind-factory _father. Because he's more of a father than you, and is going to be his father in time. He's going to be family. The more you try to stop him, the more right he knows he is. He would have quietly married her if you were just cold to him. He'll get married on Selene at this point. You could have ignored a small ceremony at the sanctuary, but he won't let you ignore a mid-afternoon special episode of the biggest talk show in the city."

Simba was stricken silent, but not with a face of shock. He looked settled. He was almost contemplative. "I know what I know. I know it to my core. But I never knew I could fail."

"It happens to every business. The stocks will recover and eventually they'll disconnect you from the business. It just takes time," Nala said, her face and voice growing soft.

"I never thought I could fail at raising cubs. I wanted the best. The very best. That can't... include... not after what my family has been though," Simba almost whispered.

"What you put your family through," Nala corrected. "I know what you mean. But, your uncle knew best. Thing is, he showed it. You loved your father, but anyone can stand on quicksand. They can sink. He tried so hard, worked on the company he got but he wasn't right. He should have been big enough to give over to his brother. But he just couldn't let go. You should hold on, but need to know when to let go, and what to let go."

"I can't be this wrong, not after I've done so much," Simba insisted. "All of this was to make everything right. It has to be right. I know, know as clear as dad did that I'm right."

"He was wrong, the company's success proved it. And you're wrong, this whole thing proved it," Nala said. "Even when you say you want them back... do you really want them? I don't know anymore. I think you just want the photo to put on a mantle. You want it all back to the way it was, with everything you think still intact, so you don't have to feel like your father was wrong. He put those ideas in you. If you're wrong, he was wrong."

"I was raised right. Uncle Taka tried to say things, was was always soft and cautious. How he made bold moves at the company, I don't know. He never liked that dad talked about our customers like they were our subjects. Lions had great status a long time ago. He told me to embrace our nobility. Our nobility was above those that thought they had something over us. Leopards. Hyenas. The felid triumvirate. But we are the top of the pyramid. Lions are the benevolent head," Simba said with some pride. "We take command, like Lionheart did, like the old controllers of fiefs did, the lords and ladies of substance."

Nala typed out a long message and did something on the tablet while slowly shaking her head. "Even if that's how it was, that isn't how it is here. We're more civilized. We vote. And now your customers are voting with their dollars and telling you what they think. You keep making the wrong choice if you want to fix this. Things changed, and the ones that couldn't keep up... got ousted for the good of the whole."

"Going to take me out too, Nala?" Simba asked, voice low and dark. "Bringing back my uncle? Getting more backers to pack the board? I'm never going away."

"He drank himself into that accident. He made that choice. He had that problem and you forgive it over and over because he was your father. Standing in quicksand... leaping into quicksand. Is this why you hate Tender Fisi and think all proclaiming mammals are idiots? You worship your dead father like some kind of strange, old god from those primitive societies in the past... the kind you want to force your son into. He's not poly like your uncle, and you can't force him to do anything. He's not your puppet, he's your son, and that's the reality," Nala said, turning off the tablet.

"I'm his father, he's my son. I don't even care about that spot-back girl anymore. I care about what you said. He's taking that scat-spitting sophist over me? I'm his **father**! He. Is. My. **Son**! There's expectation! He knows the social reality! I did everything for him, I have a right to be who I am and he... he needs to understand that. We always look up to our fathers. They're what makes us. I shouldn't have to fight a weakling Tender for his appreciation and adoration. I get it by nature," Simba insisted, panting and chuffing in consternation after his tirade.

"That's what he taught you, isn't it?" Nala asked, looking with pity on her crumbling mate. "You really do worship him. I don't need to know if he beat you or starved you. He just made you think he was a god. You won't see his face in the clouds or hear his voice in the wind. He's dead. But he can still hurt you. And he's hurting our children and I won't stand for it! Don't keep worshiping a rotting corpse!"

"He made me tough! He made me strong! He didn't want me to be uncle Taka, grandma's favorite. Grandpa chose him, and he wanted me to be like him. Not a mincing, effete weakling. He made me strong and he made me good. I was someone who could be in charge. And I honored him. Nature, this circle we call life, it requires respect, consistency, obedience to how things have to be. We have to preserve it, and that means fathers teach children the right thing, and children show appreciation, affection, respect," Simba huffed, head held high and eyes looking nowhere.

"No. Simba... No. Please don't tell me you think that. Nothing is just assumed, not between mammals. He doesn't owe you anything you haven't earned. He can make his own choices, and he has. And everything you're doing to hurt him, just like I said, shows him he's right," Nala sighed. "Mrs. Nguvu offered to draw up divorce papers. I think she was joking. I didn't say yes. I didn't say no. I didn't say anything. I needed this revelation."

"And?" Simba asked.

Nala didn't say anything.

o o o

The condos in Canyonlands were fairly unique, in that they were often built into the aforementioned canyons. Those in the swanky area of Hyenahurst were built with their small patio balcony sliding doors facing the wadis that ran through the area, if they were especially prime real estate. It made for a fantastic show when the integrated region system announced an alert, dropped the braced lexan panels over the balconies after the alert period and let the brisk, cold water rush in from the pump channels under the bay by Tundratown into the Canyonlands desal plant on the edge of Sahara Square. It also meant that much of the interior was carved into the dark reddish stone, sealed well and then braced and plastered only when needed, lending a warm and natural feel to the costly living spaces.

It had never occurred to Duke Weaselton before, that natural-looking spaces could cost more than overtly ultramodern artificial places. His old apartment was basic as scat and so out of date it should have come with a mirror ball, but it was still all made from what was decent building tech. So was his new digs but it hardly looked it. On the face. Adding his dame's inherited antiques and the nice things she got for herself sure made those red rock walls behind the clear coat sealant look extra swank.

He had never been the type to take a morning to read the newspaper. He had to roll out of bed, get all his junk together and head out to some respectable street to try and eke out a living from bootlegs. He was lucky to get food money, rent money, and _Big doesn't break my legs_ money. Niceties like the cup of coffee steaming on the coffee table in front of the ring of couches and the newspaper he was reading weren't normal. He wasn't even a paper-reading hob, even if he tried to keep informed, something that helped his survival. But given he was living in classy digs, with the classiest of powder puffs, it was a good idea to get smarter about everything going on.

So he was there with the Matin edition of the _Savannah Tribune_, one of the bigger papers in the city. He'd already read through the funny papers and made a stab at trying to decrypt the business section. A bit past his kind of making money, but he gave it a go. After a quick check on some sports stuff he went at the front page. All pretty normal talk about the stuff going on. Taxes, legal wrangling, politicians at different levels. One little thing caught his eye, a story up top of the front page, _Actress behind viral hoax found, employee of image consulting service hired to make video_. The byline really snapped him to attention. "Hey! Hey doll!"

"Mm, yes, dear?" Muffin emerged from down a short hallway leading to the bedrooms, her silver form wrapped up in a light pink robe. "Your natural energy never ceases to amaze me. Weasels do have such vigor."

"There ain't too many names sound like yours, this here article was written by... Muffet McGnaw. Thought that was a... doll?" Duke looked up from the newspaper and saw Muffin looking slightly off at nothing.

"McGnaw you said?" She asked.

"Right there. M-C-G-N-A-W. Muffet, sure sounds unique," he said.

"McGnaw is the family name of my mother. Her name is Muffet, she named me mostly after herself,"Muffin noted, casually strolling to the dining table slightly away from the hall in the large main room. Her cell phone was sitting out on the table. She picked it up and scrolled through her contacts to find a name in the list. A few rings after selection she said, "I recall you always saying in unguarded moments the ambition you had in your university years. To be part of the journalistic seekers of fact. Have you finally succeeded? How delightful, mother."

"_It was not for your benefit, if that thought crossed your mind."_

"I said no such thing," Muffin said, still all smiles. "It was simply a delight to see you reaching a goal in line with your education."

"_You do think it. I can tell. Of my children I only raised one with some gratefulness. And it was... I did not do this for you. It was handed to me by someone who trusted me. They knew this involved the highest reaches of society. I was the only one. I did this. It was bringing the truth to light, revealing a deception played upon this city. It was an act of decency and cleverness, equal parts craft and honorable intentions."_

"Of course mother. You did a good thing for the city and..." Muffin began.

"_Please give the phone to that hob you have there, if he is free."_

"Of course, mother," Muffin said, stepping over and handing the phone across to Duke. "She wishes to speak with you."

"Hey, thanks, doll," Duke said, putting the phone up to his ear. "Hey, ma."

"_You may be overestimating your charm. My daughter finds you acceptable, and she may bring you in. But I am not your mother."_

Duke shrugged and sat back more on the couch. "Eh, my ma ran off when I was a lil pup. My dustypuff thinks alla the world of ya, so ya gotta be good. If I ain't got a ma that wanted me, I got one that's good fer the lady I want."

"_You speak so casually of her. So easily. Is your love that easy? I know what you are, she is hardly shy about saying so. I have a reporter's mettle, as you doubtless saw in the paper. I know you. A grifting Happytown mammal. You... you could turn her head, and say anything for the luxury you have."_

"Ain't that clever, ma. I do my best, but I save it for real hustlers. I'm a plugger, plug away at the good gaffles, small-time. I gotta thank ya. I got worried about them kids. It ain't easy bein' anythin'. Inter's just a set-a teeth from bein' Outsider half the time. We know it," Duke said, giving Muffin a wink and a blown kiss.

"There is no difference between us that matters the slightest. But if the city, or my siblings, mistakenly say otherwise, that has too much of an effect," Muffin said with a sad smile playing on her lips. "We can't all be protected. Even that young lion is not protected, rich as he is. You did not do it for us, but the good you have done is wonderful."

"_She loves you so dearly. Too dearly. She does not think clearly enough. Well, I am her mother, I do so very well. You are an intruder in these heights. You come here, unknown. I promise you, you will be scrutinized. One false twitch and you will spend the rest of your miserable, starving, short existence wishing your absentee mother had thrown you away as a babe, to spare you what I will do if you hurt her."_

Duke listened with wider and wider eyes, until the end. Something clicked in his mind, and his expression dropped back to one casual and cool. A peaceful look he had grown to find more and more normal with his needs met and his surroundings pleasant. "Ma, I had polar bears waitin' on the order ta turn my knees inta jelly. I owed money to the guy ya don't owe money to, the guy that feeds the ice fish and snow crabs with losers like me without sparin' a thought. Ya don't scare me, 'cause yer scared. Same here. Scared I'm gonna wake up in that spoory apartment, and start the grift all over. If ya don't wanna see it, ya won't. But just... I love that puff-a mine. And ma... love ya too."

Silence. A long, uncomfortable time. _"Please return her phone to her. I have additional comments."_

"Sure thing ma," Duke said, handing off the phone. "Wants ta talk some more. Think she's gettin' ta like me."

"Thank you dear," Muffin said, bringing the phone up. "The comments are quite interesting. You must have said..." she began.

"_Do not bother sending wedding invitations to your siblings. Wasted paper and postage. Do not send one to your father, you do not want him there. Please send me an invitation. Assume I will RSVP early, vegetarian meal, I get three dances with you and will have two with him."_

"Mother..." Muffin whispered.

"_I do not know how I raised such children. My best is with a strange hob. I do not know what to think of him. He has such audacity, he was so casual. But it was a thing of truth, he had pain before you. I tried him and he was not afraid. I said I did not do it for you. But for those movements, the ones now vindicated when there was no need to vindicate them. They help so many... including you. Be well, dear. Do not bring him around, your father would be a savage to him, and both of you deserve better. I should come 'round to see you both. Until then."_

"Good day mother," Muffin said with a soft voice. "Goodness. You seem to have answered quite well. It seems she desires to come to the wedding. In her own way, she is quite taken with you."

Duke leaned back, casually reading the article. "She's a great ma. Glad I got a do-over."


	7. Asbestos Gelos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The unquenchable laughter known to the Gods is the laughter that reaches the deepest core, that sees the truth behind a grand illusion. It's laughing at a fool that fooled themselves.

I do not own Zootopia, that belongs to Disney. This a fan work made solely for the sake of amusement.

**A Different Kind Of Pride**

**Chapter Seven: Asbestos Gelos**

**By: Gabriel LaVedier**

The movement against Simba had stalled in some way. The division between those who somehow still believed in the hoax and those who had changed their minds or never changed their position muddied the waters from the focus on Simba's bigotry. To one degree or another the bigoted lion had had some form of victory, though news reports regarding his legal situations told all too well he was going to be trampled by the ZPD, mercilessly.

Kion had made peace with his separation. He called his mother regularly and saw his sister and friends frequently. He still went to school, still did gymnastics, he tried his best to act like everything was okay. The sting of the whole situation was fading, even though it was still tickling at the back of his mind. But spending time with Jasiri helped to make it even more faded.

The pair had taken to walking in the evenings, keeping their closeness forever in the public eye, and defying muckrakers by being in close and loving contact. It would strain credibility that they were holding out a fake relationship to keep up the lie, especially with the true hoax revealed. It was a nice way to discuss the day, plan for things and enjoy one another. They seemed perpetually in a honeymoon stage.

The path they took was never quite the same, going through the limited number of streets around the manse, but choosing different orders to walk them in, taking them all around the nice part of Savannah Central. They stopped in cafes, bought food from carts, and occasionally sat by trees and bushes in bloom to enjoy the cool of the day.

On one of their jaunts they passed by a small side-street that was fairly unremarkable, save for the sharp hiss coming from between two buildings, very much the sound of a spray can in use. Not being those to shy away from confrontation the pair went through the side-street and peered into the space between houses.

The walls were a mess of different odd symbols, inexpertly made, shaky and amateurish. The source of it was a huge pile of baggy and raggy clothes, someone's comical imitation of a stereotype of a Happytown down-and-outer. Loose and scuffed jeans, a large second-paw hooded gray sweatshirt, the hood up, stains of all sorts over both. In the figure's hand was a crisp piece of paper that looked straight from a stationery set, some small green leaf near the top by a number of different strings of characters, some of which resembled the spray-painted marks. There were others yet to be written, some of them in the recognizable alphabet, indicating phrases in a foreign language.

"Hey! Cut that out!" Jasiri shouted, letting out a warning cackle.

The figure turned to face them, shock on her features. Dark fur, too dark and too light at the same moment for lions known to live in Happytown. No purple smear on her head. No careful makeup and tone correction. But it was unmistakably someone from a nightmare. "Rani!" Kion cried.

With a grit of her teeth and a small snarl the lioness grabbed up a tattered bag full of clattering cans of spray paint and made a run for it. Without hesitation Kion and Jasiri broke into a run, dashing off in different directions, following the grid of the district.

Running in a panic, Rani stumbled over her baggy clothes and the heavy bag digging into her shoulder even with all the padding. She couldn't think straight or remember the precise route from where she had been sent to some place she was familiar with. It was all she could do to tear off pieces of the paper and dump them in gutters and trash cans. She knew where she had been told was best for the job but beyond that hadn't bothered to look up emergency escape routes. All jobs required preparation but never intensive urban grid memorization.

Her desperate flight ended when she nearly ran face-first into Jasiri. "Little tip for you! Don't try and outrun someone in their home. I was raised here, I know every street."

"And I walked them all with her!" Kion shouted, arriving slightly after, barely winded.

"Can't ever leave well enough alone. Can't shut up, take a hint and move on," Rani huffed, dropping the bag and rolling her shoulder. "You brought it on yourself."

"And you brought it on **your**self," Jasiri echoed, a small smile on her muzzle. "Not so easy when you don't have ImageShop and a few editors behind you, is it?"

"It... was just... a job!" Rani shouted. "I get paid, I get some experience, I take a step toward getting real jobs in actual acting. And now I... they didn't actually hire me, it was contracts. They just don't... contract me anymore. Saves their company."

"Saves their image," Jasiri said, darkly. "They pretend they never actually had you working there."

"Jasiri..." Kion started.

"Quiet, Kion," Jasiri said. "I should be more evolved, but this is a girl fight." She cracked her knuckles and snarled. "She hurt you, and I have my responsibility."

"How do you think I feel? I had a chance! Why ruin me? It was a role! Deal with your daddy issues without me!" Rani snarled, cracking her own knuckles.

"Day one was a job, giving out advice to get Kion talking to his father. All those extra days of just showing up like a creepy stalker, those were personal," Jasiri snapped.

"I'm an actress!" Rani insisted. "Real movie productions take months, even years, all with the same role. I was in character, not seen too often, not just absent. I took the script and I used it. They wrote a good one. It even worked. I was just an actor for them. Take them down, not me."

"You could have said no to the kissing video," Kion chimed in.

"I'm a professional, and I just wanted to get the role done," Rani sniffed, trying to look aloof. "I was paid for a job, got a script, did what I needed. I don't choose my roles."

"You had to be a certain level of upper class for that company to hire you. You're not starving. You can always tell them you won't. You wanted it to happen," Jasiri reasoned.

"That makes it easy, doesn't it? Prove it!" Rani shouted.

"You just proved it. And that..." Jasiri pointed to the bag. "You look like a ridiculous joke someone tried and failed to pull on Hallowvest, pretending to be a Happytown citizen. And that piece of paper, crisp and clean, stationery from somewhere fancy, full of foreign sentences, like the immigrants in Happytown would use if they were trying to make the place look bad. You're still not starving but you'll ruin anyone for a buck."

"Big companies have big names and big connections," Rani stated sharply. "My career can still go places. I was always willing to play a good role. I still get to move in good circles. Just... now they know who I am, they come to me when _Tree of Life_ won't take their calls anymore."

Jasiri sharply pointed at the bag of spray paint cans. "Ruin anyone for a buck. You made the choice to hurt Kion, you probably agreed with why it was getting done, and you hate that you have to deal with getting caught. They promised you the same thing that they promised Kion's father. Guess they forget that hurt mammals hurt mammals, and that hurting someone is the best way to get hurt when nature brings around those that want to protect them."

Rani scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Blah blah, you really are just a nothing Tender's little cub."

"Just... go back and clean it up, take off the bad disguise and clean up and tell who hired you. The ZPD will probably want to know," Kion kindly said.

"Do I look stupid to you?" Rani spat.

"Don't you ask that question if you don't want the answer from a hyena you hurt, you'll get the truth," Jasiri cackled. "If you can't be honest..." She reached for the bag, and was swatted away from it.

"It's not there, it's scraps in the gutter. Didn't have much but a logo anyway, a pretty boring one. I didn't know who, didn't care why. I'm playing a Happytown character, that's it," Rani insisted, pulling the bag away. "Put up some tags, it's art. That's all."

Jasiri snapped in Rani's direction. "You liar! It's not just art. We know what Happytown gets. You just want to keep being a troll for money. Fake another scandal! I'm glad that woman got you terminated from-"

Rani didn't let Jasiri finish. Her emotions boiling over, she smacked Jasiri across the face, fingers curled a little bit in a proper feliform swipe-punch that resembled a slap to to those outside the know. "That old chinchilla had no right! Just making nice with her Outsider daughter."

Jasiri seethed, holding her cheek and letting her breath grow slower and slower, a kind of calm moving into her features. "I am the daughter of Faraja Fisi. I have my father's philosophical calm." She lashed out with a strike that Rani just dodged, sending a fist swinging right past her snout. The breeze of it alone was a bit much for comfort. "I am the daughter of Mwezi Fisi! If I trained right, I have my mother's right hook!"

"Jasiri!" Kion cried, reaching out to try and grab at her.

"Kion! Girl. Fight," Jasiri firmly said, looking slightly back. Her momentary distraction let Rani step in close and swipe near her belly, catching some loose portions of Jasiri's ubiquitous sundress, forcing the lioness to retract her claws and unsheathe them again.

"You're like a cheetah but even less of a cat," Rani taunted, showing off her claws in full extension. "Non-retractable, non-functional. What now?"

Jasiri sharply snapped at Rani, showing off her pearly whites and trying to emphasize the musculature of her jawline. "You get claws? I get jaws! Still feel like playing the game that way?"

The two stood at a stalemate for a long moment before Rani's claws slowly slid back into her fingertips. She went in for a punch to the face, that one being blocked, but a weaker punch to the gut landing. The moment of triumph was dulled by Jasiri delivering on her mother's right hook. Even without real training, as a bookish hyena-daddy's girl, she was still a hyena girl, and all of that translated into a heavy hit that sent Rani stumbling away.

She spit out a ruddy glob of saliva and grunted. "Being a hyena isn't enough. I still have all my teeth settled and I can still beat you down. You've got nothing. You always had nothing. Those movements your friends started were trash and now I killed them. _**I **_did it! For all your cackling, you couldn't do anything!"

Confusion washed slowly over Jasiri's face, father's slow contemplation cooling mother's hot blood. "That... no... is that what you think? Is that really it? Do you think you actually killed something as deep and real as love with your stupid acting?"

"I was brilliant! I fooled that idiot slobbering over you like a wolf on tegu bones. He bought it, doesn't matter if he was just being nice, he bought it and got close enough to look the part. I've had worse co-stars," Rani boasted. "And I don't care if you're still in love, I killed the movement. I was hired to do it, and I did it. Mr. Pride was counting on it. Derail Inter Pride, all the hashtags and support messages. Break it all. And I did it, I was brilliant, and I beat you to a pulp in social media. I won."

Jasiri turned to look at Kion, both of them going from confusion to disbelieving understanding. "Rani... you... you wasted your time. You wasted your time on me and my father wasted his money. You... didn't do anything."

"You... you're actually proud of the job you did as an actress when you didn't do a thing," Jasiri said, a small whooping cackle following, features turning up into an amused look.

"I checked all the aggregators. The hashtags stopped going up and the volume of use dropped off. That was all I wanted to do. And yes... maybe I hated that good-looking lions like Kion go slobbering over your kind. But that's not going to keep happening. The movement is dead and no one's going to go with something like that. Image. I was glad to work at _Tree of Life_. We fixed images. And that's what I did."

Kion couldn't stop himself from looking pityingly on Rani as the full weight of what her words actually meant truly hit him. His unstoppable look was a warm-up. Jasiri gave in to a natural reaction that shook her body. She allowed the fullness of understanding to hit her and uncorked her natural hyenic reserves of laughter. Her cackles were huge, high and almost embarrassingly loud. They weren't warnings, or dominance laughs, or nervous sounds. She was unloading pure laughter. Perhaps not cruel laughter but she was laughing with the force and volume of one who was absolutely taking nothing seriously in the person they were laughing at. She wasn't merely laughing at Rani, she was laughing at the very deepest being of Rani, every last part of her. The very idea of her.

The pitying look stung. Coming from Kion, that was a slap in the face. But the harsh cackling, the deep, full, loud laughter in her face was worse. She could feel it was personal. The look on Jasiri's face, the way she looked at her when she could manage. It wasn't just kind pity. It was absolutely ridicule. Rani was the ultimate joke, and nothing except a punchline with a coat.

Rani snarled loudly and hurled a flurry of punches, fangs bared, a growl rumbling deep in her throat. Her fists made contact with Jasiri's heavy bones, the hyena's arms thrown up to defend herself. The fists smacked hard into her arms and occasionally the sides of her head and down at her solid ribcage. "Don't you laugh at me! I succeeded and ruined you! You have no right to laugh at me! What's the spoory joke?"

Jasiri focused solely on defense, taking the assault of the posh and stringy lioness with little more than natural robustness. Her laughter never abated, unquenched by the unfocused impacts that failed to bend her bones or slightly rattle her brain despite the repeated hits. After enough hits slammed into Jasiri's body she shoved her hands out, open-palmed, pushing Rani back, staggering, her paws fumbling and sending her onto her backside. "What's the joke? You see it! You're mad because of it! It's you! **You're** the joke!"

Rani didn't stay on on her rear, still fury-filled from the endless, echoing laughter. She practically leaped up, body taut like a coiled spring that let her launch herself into Jasiri. Her attempt at being an irresistible force met the genuine immovable object of Jasiri's planted stance. She tangled herself up with the hyena, claws peeking out to catch on her clothes, prick at her spotted hide and rake just across the smooth fur and tough pelt. She also continued to try to throw punches, with no room to draw back far enough or aim at sensitive areas. "I'm not a joke! I'm still going to be a success! Don't-!"

Jasiri shoved again but followed it with another of her right hooks, giving it even more of her effort. She knocked Rani's head sharply aside and sent her stumbling again, a little trickle of blood coming form her lip. "What you wanted to do, you failed at, deep down. Sure, you stopped a few meaningless social media things. Pathetic. Zuri is the most attached to that kind of thing. Know what she said about the downturn? She complained that Inters would lose recognition outside of Lady Maw-Maw's charity activities. She still had a fun date with Janja. You did nothing that actually mattered. Even if the whole city stopped using random phrases on the internet... we know what matters. We care more about each other than some stupid website score or popular folk talking."

Rani stood there, fingers curled in the felid slap-punch position, the small trickle of blood from between her lips dripping slowly onto the street. The wheels turned in her head, gears shifting with grinding and stalling as her worldview turned to the one Jasiri was actually talking about. Her breath panted heavily, eyes narrowed but slowly growing wider as she understood what she had been told. "N-no. The... we... popularity. I know how it works. _Tree of Life_ makes money on image. If it's not popular, it's dead. Mr. Pride got what he wanted and I did it with my acting skill. I did it..."

Kion slowly shook his head, holding out a tissue for Rani. "No. My dad wanted the bad press to stop, and hoped that making me look bad would do it. He wanted lions and hyenas to be broken up. Nothing else mattered."

Rani slapped the tissue away with a snarl, getting a shove and a slap from Jasiri for her troubles. "You might be sheltered but regular mammals won't do it anymore. No one's got the guts to be unpopular. That. Is why. _Tree Of Life_ exists at all. You lying scatball. Are you that stupid?"

"There's more to life than what you think. Likes and Echoes. Not everyone has to be famous before they do what they want," Jasiri said, stepping back to lean on Kion. "That's why you're a joke. And why you'll be a joke forever. Come on. Let's go get the ZPD. If this joke won't do the right thing let's do it."

"I wanted to feel sorry for you, even when you were hurting me. I thought... you had a reason that mattered," Kion sighed. "I guess... I was wrong. Father was wrong about the best intentions of mammals. You and dad... you don't have them."

The two walked away, arm in arm, never looking back. Rani eventually picked the tissue up from the ground and dabbed at her lips. She wasn't in any big hurry to get away, halfway hoping the ZPD would run her in for tagging. A few clever mugshots, a good sob story, maybe a BuckStarter campaign to get her bail or fine taken care of and she could attract some legitimate firms again. Everyone loved a fake redemption story. It was always a scam, always an angle. She could play those like nobody else.

She wasn't a joke.

Those losers who didn't understand how the real electronic world worked. Unbloodied, unbroken, uncaring.

They were the joke.

o o o

Life on the run had been anything but a glamorous exploration of personal freedom and power. The lioness trio had been convinced their big boss could get them back without consequence. They had held out that hope until it was too late to do anything but wait. They weren't stupid. The ZPD had probably quickly subpoenaed vehicle and personnel records. Even slapping on an improvised fake tag, the make and model would have them run in. They wouldn't get any pay or professional forgiveness from torching an expensive machine.

Separating was hardly an option, either. Two of them had needed improvised medical care. They weren't soldiers, a dark reminder of the taunting they had gotten, being compared to private protection members who actually had been. Their training had included at least basic first aid. The sudden assault had been fairly ruthless but thankfully unfocused. They were all aware that had Zira wanted to focus on killing them, they would be very dead, and not all that cleanly.

They had made efforts to keep in contact with the boss and office until legal practicality sent them into the dark. They had to wait, bandaged, and hidden in a disused company warehouse, occasionally going out for supplies with what little money they could keep mustering up. The situation had no end-game, and the ideas they had built up were becoming less and less real the longer they waited.

"Anyone missing Taka Pride?" One of the lionesses, named Corinne said, her firing hand bandaged up and the fingers slightly curled. "I didn't sign up for this. I should have been on the bikes strongarming some family."

"If you like boredom. I heard that. No nerve," another one, called Sarafina, said. She was completely unharmed, leaning back in an old chair.

"No nerve... I'd take it. This isn't making any sense. We didn't kill a kid, and you're the only one that isn't hurt, you spoor-vomiter," the last one, named Edwina, said, a hand and her midsection bandaged, hands gingerly holding her sides. "I didn't even hurt anyone and she rutted me up worst..."

Sarafina rolled her eyes. "That stopped getting me mad. The kid didn't die, I just cracked his head, and I didn't even mean it. Not my fault that place is all cracked up and jagged."

"It was all your fault, Sara!" Edwina roared, groaning afterward and gripping her sides a bit tighter. "It's not broken, it's not broken..." She heaved a sigh and shook her head. "That idiot kid was just wagging his finger. You were too keyed up, too stupidly keyed up. That emo lioness got to you and you don't deserve the job if you can't keep your cool. Maybe we should only take in police washouts who actually passed their control exams."

"I said I'm sorry! This isn't all my fault. Rinne gouged out that kid's eye," Sarafina grunted.

"Now you're failing to get me mad. I just scarred up his face. And maybe he hit his head, I don't know. Wasn't on the news. They're alive, that's all. We won't get the solo-cell," Corinne stated.

"We've been out here long enough to get them good and pissed. They'll use every single small charge against us, and won't offer to plead any of it down. They want every last charge to add some more months to the sentence. I mean... unless we roll over on Simba..." Edwina said, slowly silencing the last statement.

"I'd like to get paid for all this scat!" Sarafina hissed. "I've lost too much of my life and my dignity to give up on my salary and the seriously huge bonus we're going to get."

"Sure, sure, let's dig the hole deeper, we'll escape that way. I know when I'm down a few more bucks than I wanted in Sahara Square I can sell my clothes to some fennec with an open shirt and gold chains for a reasonable rate loan and never regret trying to gamble my way back out!" Corinne spat. "Are you stupid? Just because you didn't get hurt you still think we've got a chance? I'll hurt you if it'll fix that head of yours!"

"Shut it!" Edwina roared, wincing slightly and trembling a bit. "We're not getting any closer to the end of this operation. There's no ending. We didn't get any instruction. He's disavowed us. That last phone call was a while ago. The burner phones aren't doing anything but wasting power. He won't even take calls from them, no part of the company will. We have to think about the reality of this. We need to get out of this somehow. I'm open to suggestions. I've always been open to it. Why are we still here?"

"We have a contract, a blighted contract! He's got legal trouble already, breaking that just opens him up to more lawsuits. We'll get our money, and he's going to want to pay us off, and get back the car," Sarafina insisted.

"He's got lawyers, you idiot! See any of those around here?" Corinne asked with a roll of her eyes. "Did you ever read yours? I sure didn't. How do you know it's even that strong? We got paid a good salary for mostly nothing. That doesn't come with a lot of guarantees, not with the questionable things we could be asked to do."

"Bet it's already canceled. Even if there was a pile of money waiting... not much good in prison," Edwina sighed. "Holding pattern. Holding onto nothing."

"This is ridiculous. Money matters, and we won't be in prison. We get our cash, a bonus and some extra from the boss, turn in the car so _**he**_ can destroy it, and then we take off. There's no rule that says we have to stay in this place. There's a world outside of here, and it's happy to take Zootopian bucks and not ask too many questions," Sarafina firmly said.

"I was born in this city and I intend to die in it. No place on this earth can be anything like it," Edwina said. "This place is my home and that means something to me. Even if I thought I could get away, even if I thought your phantom money existed, I just... I wouldn't want to. I'd rather live in a hole under Sahara Square than run away."

"I'm not that attached, but I'm not going to be holding my breath for that money you think is there. What we've got is going to run out. We're not getting anything. We're going to run out of something. Food, cleaning gel, luck," Corinne sighed.

"But we haven't yet. You said it, he has lawyers. This is just a stupid matter, we had an accident. No one ordered anything. We just did our jobs. As long as those phones work and as long as we get at least something in out bellies every day and don't stink too badly, we just need to wait out those lawyers giving us clearance to some back," Sarafina said, attempting to assure the other two.

"A matter of time. A matter of time..." Edwina mused. "Is that it? It must be. I can't keep lying to myself. We have an endgame after all. There always was that end, we've just been listening to you to try and pretend we have a hope for something better than the inevitability of failure. Rinne, you still believe this?"

"I just want to go home. If that money she says is there is there, give it to me. I can take a hot bath, go out to Sahara Square in a slinky dress and gamble until they give me a free room and maybe I'll make out with some lady or dude that thinks I look nice. I just want that..." Corinne sighed.

"Maybe you should have taken the offer of that guy you sliced up," Sarafina mocked.

"Swear to the moon I'll slice _you_ up! I needed to push him back. He was just some desperate high school idiot who thought he was charming. I don't rob the cradle. Do you?" Corinne bitterly asked.

"I don't break the law!" Sarafina quickly shot back.

"Ironic," Edwina muttered.

Silence and a brooding truce fell on the three after that, the air heavy with resentment and contemplation. In that silent moment all three caught the sound of tires screeching up to the warehouse. Before they could react to see what was coming the answer was blasted at them. _"This is Officer Nick Wilde-Hopps of the ZPD. We know you're in there. Come out with your hands up, claws sheathed, weapons down. If you need to discuss terms, that's what I'm here for. Just... try not to take too long. We keep the big mammals around for a reason, and all the reinforcing in the world will only annoy them."_

"Car's still gassed up. If we find the gap in any encircling attempt we break out, contact the company and demand they take us in," Sarafina grunted, trying to see through one of the hazy windows.

"This isn't an action movie! This is it! Why... why didn't they send some lawyers for us? We just made a mistake! We made a mistake..." Corinne wailed.

While the two ran around and overreacted, Edwina made a different choice. The whole scenario finally made everything click in her head. She started to laugh, chuckling at first, progressing into full guffaws that made her spasm and hold her ribs tighter. The laughter echoed around the warehouse, easily catching the attention of the other two lionesses. Both of them turned from anger and fear to utter confusion, stepping up to look at the third lioness. "We... we did work for Simba Pride... we didn't even think what a terrible thing it was to intimidate children and their parents, demanding that Kiara just come with us. We knew what kind of boss he was. And we all wanted to think he'd save us. He's trying to save his own skin. We injured children accidentally while following his orders. He's going to do nothing but focus on _we_ and hope to the moon that everyone in Zootopia ignores _his orders_. Accidental or not. That's the truth. We should have burned that piece of scrap car and run with the clothes on our back and bucks in our pockets. Even if this is home, that's just an extra terrible price we would have paid."

"What are you saying? This is it? This can't be it! We have to try! We need to keep ourselves free!" Sarafina roared.

"It was always wrong. We were never free. Think about it, really think about it. What were we for? Being his will, and not that kindly. We said it back there to her. We do what we're told, morals don't need to enter into it. Did you think he had morals if we didn't?"

"Well, he had morals enough to... have us... to be without them... for... him..." Corinne said with ever increasing softness and awareness.

"We were always his effigy to burn. I think I just believed you because I was so rutted up. And I guess Rinne wanted her night out with the invisible money," Edwina said, groaning as she rose up and walked toward the door. "I'm done with the sunk cost. It was all just trash, it was always trash, always never there." She cracked open one of the doors and called out. "Immunity! I'll sing like a budgie! Lawyer, deal, I'm all there! Just get me to the hospital! I'm not dying in my home for that Simba Pride!"

"Huh, wish they were all this easy," Nick said, slowly approaching the lioness with cuffs while Judy stalked beside him with a tranq pistol. "I didn't even need to use both contacts worth of charm."

"One-Raksha-Roaming-417, calling for a bus at the Pride warehouse, Central and Plainview, suspect indicated necessity of medical intervention, appears to be injuries to the torso and hand," Judy called into her shoulder radio. "She said lawyer. Still..." She checked a few photos that were attached to her body armor and examined some of the features on the lioness. "Edwina McFang, you're under arrest for obstruction of justice, intimidation, grand theft auto, fleeing the scene of an accident, assault, battery, aiding and abetting a criminal activity. You have the right to maintain your silence and free speaking will negate the right against self-incrimination. You have the right to legal representation of your own choosing or one appointed by the state prior to questioning. Do you understand?"

"He even got us for the eclipsed car..." Edwina groaned, her arms behind her back and cuffed in a flash. "He threw us away all the way to the dump... I understand. He's not sending out his lawyers for us. Need a public defender. But get me to the hospital first. I'll tell you everything and then some."

The other two lionesses lingered at the door, with Corinne moving out next. "Prison clothes and bankruptcy for me. I wanted one more good time..."

"No! It's not over... not like this. We have... we're owed..." Sarafina desperately said, grabbing Corinne by the shoulder.

"Maybe morally we're owed. But... I think Eddie was right with what she did. Maybe we all should have laughed, and in his face, when we got the assignment," Corinne quietly said, holding up her injured hand. "I don't need a hospital but I'm hurt too! If she can't tell you something I will! Get me a lawyer and I'll talk!"

Sarafina, with the biggest burden and the fewest injuries, took the longest to leave. She could hear the duo about to come for her when she finally broke. Her hands went up and her tongue stayed still. She wasn't selling out like them, even if it was abundantly clear she had been sold out. He never intended to come for them. He repaid their loyalty with a slow burn into nothing. She could still hear Eddie's laughter ringing off the walls as she plodded out. At their situation. At their complicity. At their trust. At her trust.

It ate up her guts as the cuffs came on and she faintly heard the rabbit ask her about rights, her answer on automatic. No fancy lawyers. Not for them. No bonus money. Just spite for loyalty. A joke.

A joke she just couldn't laugh at.

Sarafina felt a deep and abiding loss. And worse...

She felt loss for something that never existed.


	8. Where The Road Leads, The End Of The Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of it all. Every road comes to an end, even if the horizon stretches on, more places to see and more tales to tell. It's the end of the line, for some, literally.

I do not own Zootopia, that belongs to Disney. This a fan work made solely for the sake of amusement.

**A Different Kind Of Pride**

**Epilogue: Where The Road Leads, The End Of The Line**

**By: Gabriel LaVedier**

"_Yes, I did assign certain members of my staff to undertake operations out of a misplaced sense of fatherly obligation and personal feeling," Simba Pride said, standing on a dais in front of the Pride Heavy Manufacturing Headquarters, flashbulbs going off and reporters from all over the city buzzing to themselves like a swarm of cicadas. "I can see now that my actions, though motivated at the time by a love for my children and concern for their future, were not at all good, and were harmful to everyone involved, including them. And beyond that night, in my desperation to save what I saw as a crumbling family and bad situation, I undertook actions that were not at all good in any sense. The hiring of an image consultation service was a way to save my business, at the expense of my family. Everything seemed important at the same time. I was confused, grasping at anything I could._

"_It was wrong, from the first night. I was wrong about everything I did. I've hurt my family in ways I don't even know if I can fully fathom. All my problems that followed stemmed from an inability to bend and a desire to fix things in my favor. I was wrong to start, and attempts to 'win' a situation led to increasing pain for my daughter, my son, those that loved them, and all their friends. Even worse, the confusion I sowed supporting a hoax just to hurt my son in my bigoted ignorance led to a city-wide disaster of accusations and rancor._

"_I know I did wrong, and I'm here to say I'm sorry. To the city, and to my family. The three employees who were sent out on my instructions to bring Kiara home that night have been arrested, and said many things in court. Many things that... have made this situation happen. After... a long discussion with my lawyers and the ZPD, I will be brought in for my part in the after-action happenings. Even if I disavowed them, I refused to give names and details when asked. I am also not fighting the civil suit brought against me by the Kaamu family. We have successfully settled out of court. Before the ZPD takes me into custody I have been allowed to make this statement. The business will be in the control of the Board of Directors and overseen by my uncle Taka Pride for so long as I might be unable to appear._

"_I will be leaving here now. But first I have my family here, and I intend to make this recovery real," Simba concluded, turning away to face his wife and children. Nala was looking put-together, smiling something like a sincere smile, going through with things since it was what she had asked for. Kiara was looking at her phone, tapping away at it and occasionally looking up at her father. Kion was standing tall and proud, in his Savannah Uniform, eyes darting from his father and over to him again. "Kiara, come here..." Simba said, opening his arms and lowering himself._

_Kiara slowly lowered the phone from her face, arms dropping to her side. She haltingly started to approach, fingers fidgeting a little bit and her gaze just missing his face. Her phone chimed at her and she immediately leaped at the device, desperately typing out a reply to what was on the screen. "Oh, sorry, daddy, I need to run! Vitani's taking her part of the settlement and using it for the future wedding. She's so happy being able to afford it but I really want her to be smart. We need to plan. She's just so lost without me about things like this. I'll catch a ride over, sorry!"_

_Simba crouched there, looking fairly stunned. An unexpected issue but one with an explanation that was at least comprehensible. That queen. He could still charm school the Happytown out of her, make for a proper society wedding. He didn't miss many beats, opening himself up to Kion. "Kion, I'm sorry. Come here, son..."_

_It took Kion a moment to move. He stood there, stiff, almost trembling. A small nudge from his mother got him to move in slow, jerking steps, like an ill-kept automaton. His unwilling pace, slow as it was, got slower still, halting him just outside his father's embrace. He finally looked him in the eyes, not seeing the bright boardroom smile lit by flashes of photographers and there for the cameras. He saw that same hateful scowl from that terrible night. The piercing eyes full of fire and venom, staring him down, crushing him, intent on breaking him. The adult mask of menace and arrogance turned on his own child. "No..."_

"_W-what?" Simba asked, looking around and pulling his smile tighter. "Kion... son... come on. I'm going to be going away..."_

"_You started going when you told me I couldn't see Jasiri anymore. You left when you hired Rani to hurt me. To make the city think I was cheating on Jasiri. I love her, dad... and random people were telling me I was cheating on her because of what you did!" Kion roared, tears finally breaking through._

"_I said I'm sorry, I'm making amends; now come say you forgive me," Simba desperately insisted._

"_But... I don't. I can't. You did all this on purpose. I don't forgive you. I don't have to. And it's my choice if I ever will," Kion said, wiping at his eyes as he turned and left his father crouched there, the loneliest lion in the city-state, captured forever in photographs desperately reaching out with empty arms._

_The scene reduced to a tiny image, dominated by the faces of Peter Moosebridge and Fabienne Growley in the ZNN studios. The duo were sitting closer than usual to one another, her hand just seen atop his hoof on the desk. "This is live footage from the press conference prefiguring the arrest of Simba Pride for his role in what is coming to be called The Bloody Street Incident," Peter said in his typical anchor voice. "The anti-Inter businessmammal has just been rejected by both his children, first with an excuse, then with a direct declaration."_

"_It's a sad thing to see, but for those who followed the story, it has some understandable elements," Fabienne said. "Knowing what he did, with all the reports out now, with the angles covered, as tragic as it is for a family to fall apart, it's at least clear that there were reasons."_

"_And with the speech concluded, we see Chief Bogo putting the cuffs on Simba Pride, taking him away to await trial for a number of charges. It's hard to know what he's thinking, but the look on his face, says it all. The kingdom of finance he inherited will continue, but for now, social realities have collapsed in on him," Peter said, his hoof seen to reflexively move to give Fabienne's had a grip. "Though the damage was done, the truth was revealed and now we can all move forward, knowing more."_

"Woo yeah! You show him, Kion!" Shenzi Fisi cheered, clapping loudly at the television. Her red rock condo was awash in natural light, the wadi not due for a wash, allowing them full freedom to open the doors to the patio wide and let in light and fresh air. Her nicely appointed space was mostly antiques, with more modern versions where necessary. She was sitting in a white undershirt and loose black slacks, thumping the couch as the big screen showed off the news. "I knew that boy was right for her. Gonna make one fine nephew in a couple of years."

In the dining area her husband, Banzai, was standing beside the table with his younger brother Ed. Banzai was in a casual sundress, very like his niece, in bright yellow with goldenrod accents. Ed was in a pair of jean shorts and a long t-shirt bearing the image of the character Gloaming Glitter from _My Little Dawn-Horse_. The older hyena was cutting up a grilled salmon steak, while his brother cackled nervously and fidgeted in his chair, looking around in a bit of panic.

"H-hey honey? I know it's exciting Simba got his rear kicked legally, but... could you celebrate quieter or change the channel or something?" Banzai nervously asked, putting down the utensils and slowly patting Ed on the head and neck.

"Oh! Hey, sorry, Ed," Shenzi said, contrite. She brought up one of her services on a nearby tablet and shot the picture over onto the TV. Instantly bright and happy music rang over bright and happy pictures. _"My Little Dawn-Horse, My Little Dawn-Horse. Ah-ah-ah-ah! My Little Dawn-Horse, I was lost but now I can see, My Little Dawn-Horse, Because you all gave me camaraderie!"_

Ed instantly settled down once the bright colors and happy music washed over him, happily accepting being fed by his brother. "Hey thanks babe. I know you wanted to see that..."

Shenzi waved off the comment and smiled. "Always knew it was coming. Just wanted to confirm. Besides, I like this. Sometimes you need a break from the dark days. It keeps him happy and that's important."

"Can't argue," Banzai said, patting Ed's mane while he took up a plastic fork, feeding himself with some dexterity. "You... think he'll be a good kid? I mean, you saw where he came from."

Shenzi laughed lightly and gave a little wave. "That family ain't all bad. Taka came out of that. Looks like Kion and his sister did alright. Don't worry, you'll be calling him nephew and be glad about it."

Ed nodded his head quickly and cackled happily, his laughter leaning in the direction of a sound like Kion and Jasiri.

"Hey, you almost got it, little brother," Banzai said, a huge smile on his face. "Yeah, you're gonna be happy with them too. You always seem to like when they come over."

"Just relax. Kid proved he was good enough to walk away from that pile of a father, he'll make a good househusband once Jasiri trains him up a little. He's skinny and pretty, I think. It works for her, that's what's important," Shenzi said, turning her full attention to the animated action on the screen.

o o o

Even after the settlement, Nuka knew he was not what could be called a _mammal of means_. He wasn't loaded enough for it, and certainly wasn't trained in how to act like one. His future brother-in-law could teach him, but that was beside the point. The money was new and one-time. Even with smart investments he was just a once-lucky lug, a Happytowner who hit the bigs, like the Striper Squad or Duke Weaselton. Fate was cruel and kind in equal measure. He'd had his turn in the barrel. Now he could spend a little time outside.

His chosen haunt, with time and ability to get there, was Vine County, good old Tanukitown. He didn't speak any of the languages within, or understand very much about the cultures other than what a few books and internet searches could tell him, but that was part of the appeal. He wasn't stupid, just held back by an environment that was unkind. He was smart enough, and wanted to try to know more. Being around there could give him a cultural growth. It was home, just a very different part of it, something new to absorb.

He'd had his time in the sun, so to speak. It wasn't just the autographed album. Those sweet girls from Chibimetal had actually given him concert tickets with backstage passes. Plural. They had presumed, again sweetly, he had someone he wanted to take. He could bring Kovu, despite not even being a fan. He could bring Vitani and have her complain it was nothing compared to her dark-rocking onager.

The fact that the whole situation revolved around relationships made his own lack of one more clear. It wasn't anything bad, of course. He wasn't the kind to fool himself. Most folks didn't have anyone or stumbled from one bad choice to another. Especially in Happytown. He had good prospects. His mother was a step above the slime of the slum, tough and respectable without having to be part of a gang. Or maybe they were a gang. Those iron-hard single mothers, Vitani and that silly butterfly knife she had, mother and her heavy wrench. They were there to protect each other. They stayed free and clear. That was prestige. Plus, his mane was dark and glossy, a magnet for most of the women he sought out. Most.

He hadn't quite been honest with his family. He wasn't the open type. He'd heard what Kovu had told Dhahabu. Their family was mostly zeros, with Vitani maybe being slightly higher on the scale. She wasn't the only one. He didn't go very far, still looking for those pointy pearly whites, but the jaw didn't have to be so square, they just had to rip into fish. It genuinely wasn't a big deal to the family, yet somehow he always kept it back. Maybe just because of his mother's expectations. Finding a fancy lioness, not for anything other than his own benefit. She wanted a better life for her children, and that was nice. It just created certain social complications since he wasn't just interested in finding a lioness. He had options.

The fitted-brick streets and smooth pavements were a nice change of pace from home. Thinking too long and too freely about it made him reflexively touch the rough scar he hid under his mane. The cracked, jagged and uncared for streets of home haunted him. But there it was pleasant. Bamboo planters at regular intervals, the buildings with their varied facade designs to truly break any chance of monotony, the loud calls from the street vendors selling food and tourist trinkets. He had graduated from tourist trinkets but was still a sucker for street food. It was cheap, and his prior years of life had drilled the necessity of frugality deep into his head.

He tossed out a cleaned bamboo skewer, and turned to a second, the little spike holding roasted chili-slathered locusts. What a deal, two skewers for a reasonable price. He considered ripping into them when the sound of bells and clapping drew his attention. He had come to follow certain common paths while walking the area, one of which sent him past a religious area he had studied up on.

It was a shrine from a foreign religion called Shinto, something from quite a ways away. As he understood it, it was quite the small one. Aside from the altar and place to purify there was just a small building holding sacred artifacts and a modest lodging for the attendants. There was supposed to be a bigger one elsewhere in the area but he had never explored that far. He just liked to stand, rest and look up the path of red torii arches. Every so often a tanuki woman would be there, in her black lacquered hat and formal robes, mostly holding her paper streamer wand, chanting and waving them over the structure.

That day, there was a new figure. A younger tanuki was there, rather shorter and quite plump, dressed much differently. She was in a white top with wide red pants, while on her muzzle rested a pair of glasses, and a red and white twined band wrapped around her head. She was pulling on the red and white rope attached to the round bells over the shrine and clapping her hands as he had seen the few other worshipers do. After a short time of bowing and holding she stood back up and took up a broom, sweeping slowly in front of the shrine. The primary tanuki came up a short time later, sharing a conversation before attending to her own duties.

Nuka looked over at his skewered locusts and thought about walking on and continuing to eat. But after a moment more he wrapped waxed paper around them and stuffed them into the pocket of the new black cloth jacket he had picked up with Chibimetal indicia across the back. He slowly walked up the torii path, not quite sure what he was doing. He stopped briefly at the small fountain just past the end of the path, rinsing out his mouth and washing his hands, shaking them off as he continued up to the colorfully decorated shrine, briefly noting there were tanuki statues flanking the structure, low and modest enough to be missed from the street.

His tread slowed to a stop before he reached the shrine itself. He knew the proper form of ritual. He was at least that educated. But he knew, to some degree, he hadn't finally come to make use of it. He stood there, fidgeting, looking more awkward than usual, the whole scene feeling a bit desolate. The gentle hum of the city seemed more distant on the sacred ground. The soft chanting in a language he didn't speak mixed with the swish of paper streamers and the scrape of the rough broom on the stones of the small complex.

He had been fooling himself that he was going to do anything. He was the same old Nuka. Full of opinions, loaded with concepts, but unless spurred, just a silent follower with a family good enough to keep it all in check. He wasn't about to say anything to anyone about anything. He slowly turned away, slumping some, starting a reluctant but real walk back to the path of arches.

Before he could get too far he felt a small tap on his back and quickly turned to look a bit down, finding the younger tanuki. Close up she looked about his age, based on what he knew about tanuki aging, a bit more than the girls of Chibimetal. A nervous smile revealed a slightly snaggled dentition, teeth pearly and peaked and perfect but a little mismatched and jutting at odd angles. "Do you... not know how to worship?" The teen tanuki asked, in a very low, halting voice with a modest accent.

"I know the motions. But I don't think I... really thought this through. I probably shouldn't have bothered," Nuka admitted, slumping a little bit more. "I don't want to waste anyone's time. I... I really don't know anything specific about this place. I just see it when I come walking."

"M-mother could tell you, she is the Kannushi of the shrine, the... the Tender, you might think," the tanuki explained. "If you are curious."

"I mean... I was kind of curious. But I... I come by a lot but never saw you before," Nuka explained, rubbing the back of his head.

"I have not been working here before. Mother certified and trained me in my duties as a miko. I tend to things, sell charms and tell fortunes. It's a job I can do to save money for college," the girl explained. "If I study well I could become kannushi someday. The spiritual power is in the family."

"Learn something new every day," Nuka said with a lopsided smile. "I'm sorry I'm interrupting you."

"No, no, the work is very light, especially today. It's more important to tend to the visitors. If you wanted to know something, I know much," the miko said with something of a hopeful look.

She was probably bored out of her mind, doing the family business. Religious business, but business. Just a teen like him, making some scratch and keeping the family happy. "Sure thing. I was always curious. I just kinda read about this whole thing. Barely know what the religion is called," Nuka said. Offhandedly, he offered a shake. "Nuka. Nuka Kaamu."

The miko gingerly took the very slightly damp hand, giving it a gentle shake. "Mujina Kaho. Ah, the second is my name. Friends like to call me Cereal," she said with a small laugh.

"Um, why?"

"Oh, my name... if you write out Kaho in different ways, one of the characters is ear of gain, like for cereal. There are worse nicknames," Kaho explained, seeming to lose a lot of the hesitance she had shown before.

"Worse nicknames. I hear that. I got saddled with a lot of ugly ones just because mother never married her partners, my little sister is a half-sister, and everyone thinks I'm a bast- I'm the son of someone I sort of wish I was, but I know I'm not. Plus fleabag, dustrag, beggar. I never begged, but... it came from logical assumptions," Nuka sighed.

"You... don't have much money? Strange. Your Chibimetal jacket is new. Kawaii-cool," Kaho said with a small smile.

"Su-goi," Nuka gamely tried, pulling a little too wide of a smile. "I don't know if you saw the news a while back. I was one of the boys injured by Pride employees. We won a lawsuit and got some money. It lets me come here, because I heard them here, and I love it here."

"Yes... I heard of that. I pay attention to the Inter websites. I try to keep to myself but... we are never alone," Kaho said, looking slightly away. "Chibimetal visited you, I saw them say that. I see why you bought the jacket."

"It was nice. I never expected that," Nuka said with a big smile. He pulled out his skewer of locusts and offered them aside to Kaho. "Locusts? I had an extra skewer."

Kaho reluctantly took the bit of bamboo and gingerly peeled one of the locusts up and off, crunching into it and fluttering her ears a bit. "A-arigato gozaimas'... I missed lunch. I was too excited about starting. This is very generous of you."

"You learn to eat lean, I got greedy because I had the bucks. That's new for me," Nuka admitted. "If you want something, **really** want it, you save up or you go without. I wanted that bargain bin Chibimetal album I had, and I saved up and did everything I could to get it."

"Your devotion says you are a good mammal," Kaho mumbled, stuffing her maw with three of the locusts and quickly chomping them down. She drew Nuka closer and showed off a painted image of a robed tanuki in a straw hat. "This is the kami the shrine is devoted to. Yashima no Hage-Tanuki. He used to be a magical trickster and a thief, until he was badly wounded and saved by another kami. He became better, rising to become more than just a magical spirit, to being a kami by his actions. Now he presides over matters of family happiness, marriage, the entertainment business, and good fortune to children."

"Family happiness, marriage... my family must be blessed by this... tanuki here," Nuka said, smiling wide to cover for his bad memory. "You might not think it, but we're happy. Mother is glad this whole thing is resolved and we can get on with our lives. My sister is dating a nice girl and my brother... well, he and I both just have to get out there and find... someone."

Kaho powered through the last of the fat, spicy locusts on the skewer, somewhat sheepishly handing it back to Nuka to dispose of. "S-seeking out a lioness?"

"Um, like you said... I... I pay attention to the Inter websites. The movement Kion and his friends had were great, for... many mammals," Nuka said. He shakily dug around in his pockets and drew out a small collection of modest denomination coins. He threw them into the shrine, like he had seen others do, clapping his hands loudly a few times after and pulling on the white and red rope to sound the bells.

Nothing in life was promised, and there really probably weren't spirits to influence events. But Nuka still had some kind of hope that if everything went well, he wasn't going to the Chibimetal concert alone.

o o o

"You guys, Dhahabu's gonna be meeting me for dinner, I want to go home and have papa Timon snazz me up right. He knows all the styles," Bunga griped. He was at the rear of a procession of some of his friends, just coming out of Savannah Preparatory Academy. Fuli was actually heading the group, with Badili settled in closely to her. Kion and Beshte, with Ono on his head and freshly retrieved from the counselor's office, were at the middle, with the nanny goat May and wolf Gabu between them. "Why do I need to do this?"

"You'd think Mapigano would get smart about planning to be a pain, what with all my fancy training and the intimidating presence I have," Badili said, puffing himself up proudly and getting a rolled-eyed sigh and grin from Fuli for his trouble. "But he still plans on being a pain and trying to get over mom leaving by hurting folks. He's still mighty peeved my sweet, tough baobab fruit knocked him on his tail and twisted him up like taffy. And since he sure as sunshine can't knock her block off, next best thing's the ones she was protecting. He's got a fearful hate going for you two nice folks. But I heard him stewin' and we'll get ya where ya gotta go despite it."

"We can't thank you enough," Gabu yapped.

"We don't live that far apart. It won't be so bad for you," May bleated, wiggling her ears cutely.

"I figure we just stomp hm once, get him scared, he leaves you alone," Fuli said with a slow roll of her shoulders. "First time was easy. This time will be even easier. If he even tries. Your brother's not dumb enough to go at them with us here, is he?"

"Uhhh..." Badili looked around and fiddled with his fingers, trying to spin some positive gold out of some very negative straw.

The sounds of an altercation pushed Kion and Beshte in tighter, getting Bunga more alert. They slowed down the pace and took the cover of the block they were on more cautiously. The scene they found was unexpected to say the least. Rani was picking up the contents of a dropped satchel, mostly papers and some books. Around her were a few lionesses, rather like herself, dark in tone and dressed with stylish casualness.

"Do you have any idea what you did to my reputation?" One of the lionesses asked, scowling at Rani. "I'm just blighted lucky I still get calls from _Tree of Harmony_, most clients take one look at me and ask why I'm still working there. At least they bother to mention I'd not stupid enough to be you."

"I have to send out my headshots extra hard and practically write on them, _NOT RANI_. I still get jobs but the directors look at me like garbage," another one hissed.

"Grabage... yeah! You turned my Pounce-a-Gram into hot, wet garbage! I can't even post up a food selfie without some troll telling me to shove it... I'm not you, blight it!" A third said.

"Oh you all were _**slobbering**_ over that gig," Rani snarled. "Like stupid wolves over monitor bones. All of you! You heard the name Simba Pride and just pictured the bucks and the prestige. If it all worked out he'd keep you under his focus, give you jobs or recommendations. You petty scavengers are no better than hyenas, skulking about to try and get yours, vultures picking carrion. You were all hoping it would be you, almost crying when he picked out the headshot selection. You wanted to stab me in the back when he picked me. Well too late, he stabbed me in the back when that old gnawer found me out. Why get so mad at me now? I'm already ruined!"

"Because revenge only feels good when you get away clean," the first one grunted. "We don't have the chance to gloat. The fact you look like us means we get mistaken for you. We wanted you ruined but we need to work too."

The lionesses came in and shoved Rani a few times, who swiped at them and shoved back. "I fought a hyena and didn't back down. She gave up. Just let me get back to this misery of hauling my tail to open auditions and hoping they recognize talent and drive. I got that job because I wanted. I'll always have that."

"Don't know when to shut your maw..." one of the lionesses rumbled, going in for a slap-punch that was deflected and getting one back in return. The whole scene was rapidly dissolving into a melee.

"Think fast, act faster... act stupid..." Fuli muttered, rushing in to give a fast shoulder into the lioness closest to Rani. She hit her with a firm ram and stayed low, bodily shoving at the other lionesses, keeping her defensive position and repelling them as best she can.

The sudden rush shocked the rest of the group but they caught on quickly enough. They charged in to present a very big, united front, showing off numbers and large sizes, all in a ring around Rani. Kion chuffed softly and tossed his head. "There's never any reason for this kind of attack. Girl fight or no girl fight, this isn't right. She's done a lot of damage but she's been punished enough. She had a fight and that's enough."

"Ha! You, of all mammals..." the first lioness said, slowly backing away. "Girl fight... oh yeah, the hyena. She beat this sandpaper dentata? Good. Fine, we'll let her go. I'd love to slam a fist into her stupid face, but as long as that face keeps throwing obstacles in her way that's good enough. Sometimes you just gotta let it out. _Tree of Life_ says hello, and goodbye." With a sniffing sneer the lionesses turned tail and stalked slowly away.

The group waited for the lionesses to get out of sight before turning to Rani, who was still standing but rather scuffed up. She grunted and offered a hand to Fuli. "Thanks for the assist."

Fuli didn't hesitate to reach out and slap the offered hand. "I didn't do it to help you, and I think it was a stupid idea to start."

"Fuli..." Kion softly said, touching her shoulder.

Fuli shrugged it off and glared at Rani. "We all know you're a manipulative rasper. Kion told us about your _art_ gig. You should be glad he and Jasiri didn't turn you in. I would have, instantly. I ran in because no one should get bullied and beaten up. I have morals, and I did it for that. But you can go sink into howling chaos where your kind belong."

"So what? You did it. That's what matters. My face is still good, I'm not bruised up, I'm good. So I can count on you to keep me from them. You're very convenient," Rani said with a small laugh.

A look passed between the Savannah students before Fuli shook her head. "First time, last time. After now, we know what you are. Ungrateful and arrogant. We're not always going to be there to rescue you from the stupid choices you make, or their consequences. Need protection from an assault like that, call the ZPD. Get video, you're good at that. You're not worth protecting."

"Everyone is worth protecting," Rani said in a mocking voice. "I know all the pap Tenders say and you're all good little puppets for the Church Association. Your kind don't do well in the industry, that's why they wash out, and why you'll keep protecting me."

"Everyone is worth protecting; not everyone should expect it," Kion said with a confident tone. "Police are paid to do it. If I do anything out of the goodness of my heart, I shouldn't squander it on someone who's going to spit on it. That disgraces me and I should have respect for myself. You don't think much of Tender Fisi but he's smarter than you, taught Jasiri and me better than you. And Mrs. Fisi... you felt what she taught Jasiri."

Rani stroked her jawline and moved her mandible slightly as she frowned. "Fine. Just stay out of my face."

"Then stay out of trouble," Fuli countered. "Keep yelling about wolves and hyenas and you won't keep staying so out of trouble."

"Leave my Gabu alone!" May bleated out. "He doesn't slobber and he's so nice!"

"Come on. We need to get them home, scare off Mapigano, and go have a nice evening," Kion said, the whole group gathering together around Gabu and May.

"Zuka-Zama! If we hurry I can get in a bath too, Dhahabu loves that," Bunga cried, bouncing along as they moved off.

o o o

The mood at the Pride household was finally normalizing. It had been quiet when Simba had been in prison, but with good lawyers, donations, and most of his charges being fines he was out after less than two months. His presence made things tense, highly pressured, and very upsetting, but the mood eventually evened out. There was no return to how it had been, but the new normal was, at least, not objectionable to anyone.

Kiara was often taken with the desire to tinker with aspects of her wedding. Even a couple of years down the road she wanted everything to go perfectly on the modest budget they could boast. Simba had tried offering to finance it, but the icy reception and litany of excuses for why it wouldn't be appreciated sent the message.

She had been flipping through a large, glossy magazine when her mother happened to notice the pictures. Dark, brooding, yet elegant. The styles were elaborate and beautiful, all wrapped in silk and crepe, excessive in detailing with accessories that looked like a far older time's trinkets. "Oh my... that's... very unique. Beautiful but... I've never seen anything like it."

"Oh this? This is something amazing that her brother showed her and Mr. Kupendeka approved of. He's a professional wedding planner but still wanted to donate some time and advice after everything that happened. When Nuka saw Vitani was getting annoyed that everything was too sparkly and outside everything she liked he showed her a magazine that he had bought in Tanukitown while looking for something nice. Mr. Kupendeka had actually heard of it. It's called Gothic-Cub. It's meant to be cute, elaborate, dark, and old fashioned. The clothes are like clothes for rich, old-fashioned cubs but with the gothic touch she loves."

"Well, every bride should have her ideal look," Nala said, idly flipping ahead in the magazine and noting all the different styles and accessories. "Are you going to..?"

"I'm not that kind of cool. I'm the princess type, and Vitani loves me for that. I have my own portfolio of looks. I'll probably pick something cheap. I can appreciate things that don't cost all that much, and I'll still look good," Kiara said, stroking her finger along the curve of one of the dark dresses, moony-eyed and fantasizing. "Mmm, it'll be so beautiful. Mrs. Kiara Kaamu..."

"Uh... You mean... Kaamu-Pride?" Simba asked, looking a bit nervously over his newspaper. "I mean, I would think she'd prefer a more powerful name but..."

"No. I understand her point. We... we treated her family like trash. She respected great-uncle Taka but it's been rough after that. Her mother suggested I take her name. I don't mind at all. It's a pretty name," Kiara casually said, still looking at the magazine.

"Well, the company will be in good hands no matter the name. Get an MBA, surround yourself with a core of good lions like that Tamu girl and it should work out. Kion, have you decided if you want... Fisi-Pride, or Pride-Fisi?" Simba asked, doing everything in his power to get the name out. It almost physically hurt him, the name more powerful than his own.

"I talked it over with everyone. F- Tender Fisi, Jasiri, great-uncle Taka. Either way the flow doesn't... flow. It sounds jarring. It isn't smooth or... No, I can't," Kion sighed, looking over at Kiara who had tilted her head in confusion. "Sorry, sis. I'm bad at this. Both really are not that smooth. But I could have lived with that. Maybe it would have been hard on Jasiri but she probably would have lived with that too. But I thought about it. No. The name means so much. Maybe too much. All the machines, all the success. Grandpa... he made the name mean something else. And... you..."

Simba's claws flexed out from bottom to top, stabbing the paper while he crinkled it in his increasingly tight grip. "What are you saying, son?"

"Unless great-uncle Taka gets really, really lucky with Georgina, and allows something... you know what it means," Kion said, breathing slowly, holding his nerve. He was the same cub, but he had seen his father beaten. He would no longer break. The illusion was shattered, his gaze wasn't strong enough, his hate wasn't hot enough, there was nothing left he could do. The mighty Simba Pride, the rock of industry, no longer invincible.

"Kion Fisi. Proud of his marriage. So proud of his marriage, so proud of his name," Simba said, low and even, lifting the trembling paper back up over his eyes. "Just like the hyena usually do it. The man takes the woman's name. Kion Fisi. Proud. But not Pride. The end of the line..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ed- Ed is very special. He's not verbal, slightly developmentally restricted, but he can understand what's going on around him. He manages to have a very fulfilling life and has, of course, his big brother and his sister-in-law there for him. He's also liking these kids that come around and see him. Being Uncle Ed to one more will be great fun.
> 
> My Little Dawn-Horse- It was inevitable. Having the eohippus stand in for a pony is just perfect. We know horses exist in Zootopia, so a slightly less evolved version is good for fantasy.
> 
> 'Girl Fight'- By implication, this means it's a hyena thing, almost a kind of formal, ritualized dominance fight. That the lioness made the instant connection between what is essentially a term of art and what actually happened means they could all grok that Rani was drawn into Jasiri 'protecting' and, to some degree, 'avenging' her man. They probably look down on Kion a little bit but know well enough if they express it they can expect having a Girl Fight of their own.


End file.
